Computer hacker is claiming he temporarily disabled the Wikileaks site Sunday afternoon, right as the latest dump of leaked State Department memos were scheduled to publish on the site.
"www.wikileaks.org - TANGO DOWN - for attempting to endanger the lives of our troops, 'other assets' & foreign relations," he tweeted late Sunday morning.
"Tango down" is a special forces military term for having eliminated a terrorist.
He goes by the Twitter handle "th3j35t3r", which is leetspeak for "The Jester."
On his website, th3j35t3r calls himself a "hacktivist for good." A "hacktivist" -- a hacker-activist, supposedly hacks for a good cause. His cause is preventing young people from being recruited online by jihadists. He does this by hacking jihadist websites, and temporarily disabling them.
"PS for me personally WL is a sideshow target, I am more interested in the big jihad recruiting and training sites," he said Sunday in a direct message to ABC News via Twitter, referring to hacking the Wikileaks website.
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer of global information technology security software vendor F-Secure, said today that he's familiar with The Jester.
He says the reason he takes down jihadist websites is "multi-fold."
"big thing is the fact that we waste billions on troops risking their lives in the field (hats off)" he writes.
"but the real threat now is the way they can radicalize 'normal' muslims into doing awful stuff on their own countries ground?.." he continues, "they can groom. recruit, train, and manourvre, home grown terrorists without ever having to meet them."
He says his aim was "initially to make those sites sporadically unavailable," yet he did not want to tread on the toes of countries' secret services. He says he used an attack tool he developed, "XerXeS", which will "pull down a site at will."
He claims to be a former member of a special operations unit, but provided no details. He says he has worked with U.S. forces, and has the "utmost respect for their conduct in the field."
http://abcnews.go.com/US/patriotic-hacktivist-claims-wikileaks-site/story?id=12272776
You gotta like this guy!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Soundbite Sunday
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
18 Former ACORN Workers Have Been Convicted or Admitted Guilt in Election Fraud
The scandal-plagued ACORN may no longer exist, but its tarnished legacy lives on in court, as the activist group and its former employees face criminal punishment.
So far this year, at least 18 former workers have admitted guilt or been convicted on varying charges of election fraud. The punishment has ranged from probation to several months of prison time.
ACORN, once a powerful advocate for low-income and minority voters, shuttered its operations amid plummeting revenues in March, six months after conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute caught on video some of the group's employees offering them tax advice.
But the group is still facing charges in Nevada on conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters.The trial, originally scheduled to begin Monday, has been postponed likely until next year.
Former workers across the country already are being punished for their criminal activities.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN Christmas Fight! Teamsters vs. Toys R Us Socialism: Rearing its Ugly Head Again Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions Incoming Postmaster General Taking Over Mail Service in Disarray Furor Over Picture Depicting Suicide Bombing in Britain In Miami, seven former ACORN voter registration canvassers were convicted of "false swearing-in an election," and sentenced to probation and community service and banned from participating in future political campaigns, according to court documents.
In Pennsylvania, six of seven former ACORN workers who were charged in an investigation were convicted of unsworn falsification and interference with election officials. Four have reached a plea agreement on reduced charges and will serve two years of probation. Cases against two others who entered pleas to reduced charges are pending.
So far this year, at least 18 former workers have admitted guilt or been convicted on varying charges of election fraud. The punishment has ranged from probation to several months of prison time.
ACORN, once a powerful advocate for low-income and minority voters, shuttered its operations amid plummeting revenues in March, six months after conservative activists posing as a pimp and prostitute caught on video some of the group's employees offering them tax advice.
But the group is still facing charges in Nevada on conspiracy to commit the crime of compensation for registration of voters.The trial, originally scheduled to begin Monday, has been postponed likely until next year.
Former workers across the country already are being punished for their criminal activities.
YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN Christmas Fight! Teamsters vs. Toys R Us Socialism: Rearing its Ugly Head Again Mystery Surrounds Cyber Missile That Crippled Iran's Nuclear Weapons Ambitions Incoming Postmaster General Taking Over Mail Service in Disarray Furor Over Picture Depicting Suicide Bombing in Britain In Miami, seven former ACORN voter registration canvassers were convicted of "false swearing-in an election," and sentenced to probation and community service and banned from participating in future political campaigns, according to court documents.
In Pennsylvania, six of seven former ACORN workers who were charged in an investigation were convicted of unsworn falsification and interference with election officials. Four have reached a plea agreement on reduced charges and will serve two years of probation. Cases against two others who entered pleas to reduced charges are pending.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Cheat Sheet - Breaking News, World, U.S. & Entertainment - The Daily Beast
Cheat Sheet - Breaking News, World, U.S. & Entertainment - The Daily Beast: "As South Korea and the United States began naval war drills, China finally broke its silence about the tensions mounting between the two Korean nations. On Sunday, China called for emergency talks among the nations previously involved in negotiations with North Korea over its nuclear program. The U.S. and South Korea have been calling for days on China to rebuke North Korea’s deadly artillery attack on a Yellow Sea island populated by South Koreans. It remains unclear if China is hoping to re-start talks about North Korea’s nuclear program or if the meeting it suggested was to discuss the North’s recent aggressive behavior. The naval exercises were intended by the U.S. and South Korea to deter further attacks from the North and signal to China that if it does not intervene, it may see a larger American presence in the region.
Read it at The New York Times"
Read it at The New York Times"
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks | Reuters
Saudi king urged U.S. to attack Iran: WikiLeaks | Reuters: "(Reuters) - Saudi King Abdullah has repeatedly urged the United States to attack Iran's nuclear program and China directed cyberattacks on the United States, according to a vast cache of U.S. diplomatic cables released on Sunday in an embarrassing leak that undermines U.S. diplomacy.
The more than 250,000 documents, given to five media groups by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, provide candid, tart views of foreign leaders and sensitive information on terrorism and nuclear proliferation filed by U.S. diplomats, according to The New York Times.
Among the revelations in Britain's Guardian newspaper, which also received an advance look at the documents, King Abdullah is reported to have 'frequently exhorted the U.S. to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons program.'
'Cut off the head of the snake,' the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, quotes the king as saying, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with General David Petraeus in April 2008.
The leaked documents, the majority of which are from the last three years, also disclose U.S. allegations that China's Politburo directed an intrusion into Google's computer systems, part of a broader coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by Chinese government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws, the Times reported."
The more than 250,000 documents, given to five media groups by the whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, provide candid, tart views of foreign leaders and sensitive information on terrorism and nuclear proliferation filed by U.S. diplomats, according to The New York Times.
Among the revelations in Britain's Guardian newspaper, which also received an advance look at the documents, King Abdullah is reported to have 'frequently exhorted the U.S. to attack Iran to put an end to its nuclear weapons program.'
'Cut off the head of the snake,' the Saudi ambassador to Washington, Adel al-Jubeir, quotes the king as saying, according to a report on Abdullah's meeting with General David Petraeus in April 2008.
The leaked documents, the majority of which are from the last three years, also disclose U.S. allegations that China's Politburo directed an intrusion into Google's computer systems, part of a broader coordinated campaign of computer sabotage carried out by Chinese government operatives, private security experts and Internet outlaws, the Times reported."
New Acer Tablet Expecgted to Outsale IPAD
pp
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Mohamed Osman Mohamud Arrested In Portland Car Bomb Plot
Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com
Mohamed Osman Mohamud Arrested In Portland Car Bomb Plot: "PORTLAND, Ore. — A Somali-born teenager plotted 'a spectacular show' of terrorism for months, saying he didn't mind that children would die if he bombed a crowded Christmas tree-lighting ceremony, according to a law-enforcement official and court documents.
He never got the chance. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, was arrested Friday in downtown Portland after using a cell phone to try to detonate what he thought were explosives in a van, prosecutors said. It turned out to be a dummy bomb put together by FBI agents, and authorities said the public was never in danger.
The case is the latest in a string of alleged terrorist planning by U.S. citizens or residents, including a Times Square plot in which a Pakistan-born man pleaded guilty earlier this year to trying to set off a car bomb at a busy street corner.
In the Portland plot, Mohamud believed he was receiving help from a larger ring of jihadists as he communicated with undercover agents, but a law enforcement official who wasn't authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on a condition of anonymity told The Associated Press that no foreign terrorist organization was directing him."
Alaska fighting uphill battle to reduce gonorrhea rate
Sarah Palins Alaska!! Which episode is this?
Alaska fighting uphill battle to reduce gonorrhea rate: Health | adn.com: "An outbreak of gonorrhea across Alaska that began in 2009 is continuing this year, and health officials say they are trying new ways to curb it.
The number of gonorrhea cases in Alaska rose an alarming 69 percent, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
State health officials began calling attention to a spike in gonorrhea cases in Southwest Alaska more than a year ago and highlighted the statewide rise in March.
The new report shows that Alaska ranks ninth in the nation for its rate of gonorrhea, compared with its ranking in recent years in the mid-20s. Alaska also is second in the nation for its high rate of chlamydia, another sexually transmitted disease that often is transmitted along with gonorrhea.
'Hopefully, the high numbers now are more of a success story in that people are coming in and getting tested. Though I am surprised the numbers haven't declined,' said Susan Jones, the state's HIV/STD program manager. 'It's this continuing rise in numbers that we haven't been able to get under control.'"
Alaska fighting uphill battle to reduce gonorrhea rate: Health | adn.com: "An outbreak of gonorrhea across Alaska that began in 2009 is continuing this year, and health officials say they are trying new ways to curb it.
The number of gonorrhea cases in Alaska rose an alarming 69 percent, according to a new U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.
State health officials began calling attention to a spike in gonorrhea cases in Southwest Alaska more than a year ago and highlighted the statewide rise in March.
The new report shows that Alaska ranks ninth in the nation for its rate of gonorrhea, compared with its ranking in recent years in the mid-20s. Alaska also is second in the nation for its high rate of chlamydia, another sexually transmitted disease that often is transmitted along with gonorrhea.
'Hopefully, the high numbers now are more of a success story in that people are coming in and getting tested. Though I am surprised the numbers haven't declined,' said Susan Jones, the state's HIV/STD program manager. 'It's this continuing rise in numbers that we haven't been able to get under control.'"
Angelo 'Lil Demon' Baligad, 8-Year-Old Break Dancer, Shows Off Incredible Moves During Battle
For those us who remember when break dancing began, it has evolved!!!
My Continuing Education - TimeFrames - TIME
My Continuing Education - TimeFrames - TIME: "Columnists are paid to have opinions. Sometimes those opinions are wrong. Those two sentences are as obvious as a sunrise, but usually unspoken by my fellow opinionmongers. I can point you to many weeks of prescience and sheer genius in my work since I arrived at TIME in January 2003. But I think we'd learn more if we took a look at one of my goofs: I supported George W. Bush's idea of partially privatizing Social Security, which he tried to enact after he was re-elected in 2004. This was a close call for me at the time; it seems positively idiotic now that we've experienced the Great Recession — and the idea of private investment has finally regained proper perspective. Investment is about risk; Social Security is about certainty. A fair amount of certainty is crucial when it comes to retirement. Why, you might ask, was I blind to this simple proposition at the time?"
Well In this case I would have said,"Because you are stupid." If SS would have been private last year, it would have tanked with all other investments.
Well In this case I would have said,"Because you are stupid." If SS would have been private last year, it would have tanked with all other investments.
Friday, November 26, 2010
USS George Washington Visit Poses A Dilemma For China
USS George Washington Visit Poses A Dilemma For China: "BEIJING — This weekend's arrival of a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Yellow Sea poses a dilemma for Beijing: Should it protest angrily and aggravate ties with Washington, or quietly accept the presence of a key symbol of American military pre-eminence off Chinese shores?
The USS George Washington, accompanied by escort ships, is to take part in military drills with South Korea following North Korea's shelling of a South Korean island Tuesday that was one of the most serious confrontations since the Korean War a half-century ago.
It's a scenario China has sought to prevent. Only four months ago, Chinese officials and military officers shrilly warned Washington against sending a carrier into the Yellow Sea for an earlier set of exercises. Some said it would escalate tensions after the sinking of a South Korean navy ship blamed on North Korea. Others went further, calling the carrier deployment a threat to Chinese security.
Beijing believes its objections worked. Although Washington never said why, no aircraft carrier sailed into the strategic Yellow Sea, which laps at several Chinese provinces and the Korean peninsula.
This time around, with outrage high over the shelling, the U.S. raising pressure on China to rein in wayward ally North Korea, and a Chinese-American summit in the works, the warship is coming, and Beijing is muffling any criticisms."
Well as long as the 82nd Airborne is not in the air, we can still get peace
The USS George Washington, accompanied by escort ships, is to take part in military drills with South Korea following North Korea's shelling of a South Korean island Tuesday that was one of the most serious confrontations since the Korean War a half-century ago.
It's a scenario China has sought to prevent. Only four months ago, Chinese officials and military officers shrilly warned Washington against sending a carrier into the Yellow Sea for an earlier set of exercises. Some said it would escalate tensions after the sinking of a South Korean navy ship blamed on North Korea. Others went further, calling the carrier deployment a threat to Chinese security.
Beijing believes its objections worked. Although Washington never said why, no aircraft carrier sailed into the strategic Yellow Sea, which laps at several Chinese provinces and the Korean peninsula.
This time around, with outrage high over the shelling, the U.S. raising pressure on China to rein in wayward ally North Korea, and a Chinese-American summit in the works, the warship is coming, and Beijing is muffling any criticisms."
Well as long as the 82nd Airborne is not in the air, we can still get peace
19 iconic products that america doesn't make anymore: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance
19 iconic products that america doesn't make anymore: Tech Ticker, Yahoo! Finance: "Another American icon has bit the dust: Pontiac.
GM is canceling the 84-year-old brand after winding down production over the past few years. Like other American automakers, it is restructuring and rebranding to compete with foreign companies.
Pontiac joins a long list of iconic products that aren't made anywhere in America.
Meanwhile, plenty of beer is still made here, but many of America’s most-iconic beer brands, including Miller, Coors, and Budweiser, are owned by foreign companies. In 2008, Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based company that has a nearly 50 percent market share in the U.S., was sold to InBev, a Belgium-based conglomerate run by Brazilian executives. In the accompanying video, Julie McIntosh, author of Dethroning the King: The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch, an American Icon, discusses the deal with Yahoo! Finance economics editor Daniel Gross.
Here are 18 Iconic Products That America Doesn't Make Anymore:"
Rawlings baseballs
Last production date: 1969
Rawlings is the official supplier of baseballs to Major League Baseball. The St. Louis shop was founded in 1887 by George and Alfred Rawlings. In 1969 the brothers moved the baseball-manufacturing plant from Puerto Rico to Haiti and then later to Costa Rica.
Etch a Sketch
Last production date: 2000
Etch A Sketch, an iconic American toy since the 1960s, used to be produced in Bryan, Ohio, a small town of 8,000. Then in Dec. 2000, toymaker Ohio Art decided to move production to Shenzhen, China.
Converse shoes
Last production date: 2001
Marquis M. Converse opened Converse Rubber Show Company in Massachusetts in 1908. Chuck Taylors– named after All American high school basketball player Chuck Taylor– began selling in 1918 as the show eventually produced an industry record of over 550 million pairs by 1997. But in 2001 sales were on the decline and the U.S. factory closed. Now Chuck Taylors are made in Indonesia.
Stainless steel rebar
Last production date: circa 2001
Many forms of this basic steel product are not available domestically. Multiple waivers to the Buy America Act have allowed purchase of rebar internationally.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Dress shirts*
Last production date: Oct. 2002
The last major shirt factory in America closed in October 2002, according to NYT. C.F. Hathaway's Maine factory had been producing shirts since 1837.
*We know there are other shirt manufacturers in America. They do not produce in large quantities or supply major brands.
Mattel toys
Last production date: 2002
The largest toy company in the world closed their last American factory in 2002. Mattel, headquartered in California, produces 65 percent of their products in China as of August 2007.
Minivans
Last production date: circa 2003
A waiver to the Buy America Act permitted an American producer of wheel-chair accessible minivans to purchase Canadian chassis for use in government contracts, because no chassis were available from the United States. The waiver specified: "General Motors and Chrysler minivan chassis, including those used on the Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana, Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Chrysler Town & Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan, are no longer manufactured in the United States."
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Vending machines
Last production date: circa 2003
You know that thing you put bills into on a vending machine? It isn’t made in America, according to a waiver to the Buy America Act.
Neither is the coin dispenser, according to this federal waiver.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Levi jeans
Last production date: Dec. 2003
Levi Strauss & Co. shut down all its American operations and outsourced production to Latin America and Asia in Dec. 2003. The company's denim products have been an iconic American product for 150 years.
Radio Flyer's Red Wagon
Last production date: March 2004
The little red wagon has been an iconic image of America for years. But once Radio Flyer decided its Chicago plant was too expensive, it began producing most products, including the red wagon, in China.
Televisions
Last production date: Oct. 2004
Five Rivers Electronic Innovations was the last American owned TV color maker in the US. The Tennessee company used LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology to produce televisions for Philips Electronics. But after Philips decided to stop selling TVs with LCoS, Five Rivers eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2004. As part of its reorganization plan, the company stopped manufacturing TVs.
Now there are ZERO televisions made in America, according to Business Week.
Cell phones
Last production date: circa 2007
Of the 1.2 billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2008, NOT ONE was made in America, according to Manufacturing & Technology publisher Richard McCormick.
After studying the websites of cell phone companies, we could not identify a single phone that was not manufactured primarily overseas.
Railroads (parts including manganese turnout castings, U69 guard bars, LV braces and weld kits)
Last production date: circa 2008
Here's another standout from dozens of waivers to the Buy America Act: railroad turnouts and weld kits.
Manganese turnout castings are used to widen railroad tracks, and they were used to build our once-great railroad system. U69 guard bars, LV braces and Weld Kits, along with 22 mm Industrial steel chain are basic items that were certifiably not available in the US.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Dell computers
Last production date: Jan. 2010
In January 2010, Dell closed its North Carolina PC factory, its last large U.S. plant. Analysts said Dell would be outsourcing work to Asian manufacturers in an attempt to catch up with the rest of the industry, said analyst Ashok Kumar.
Canned sardines
Last production date: April 2010
Stinson Seafood plant, the last sardine cannery in Maine and the U.S., shut down in April. The first U.S. sardine cannery opened in Maine in 1875, but since the demand for the small, oily fish declined, more canneries closed shop.
Pontiac cars
Last production date: May 2010
The last Pontiac was produced last May. The brand was formally killed on Halloween, as GM contracts Pontiac dealerships expired.
The 84-year-old GM brand was famous for muscle cars.
Forks, spoons, and knives
Last production date: June 2010
The last flatware factory in the US closed last summer. Sherrill Manufacturing bought Oneida Ltd. in 2005, but shut down its fork & knife operations due to the tough economy. CEO Greg Owens says his company may resume production "when the general economic climate improves and as Sherrill Manufacturing is able to put itself back on its feet and recapitalize and regroup."
Incandescent light bulb
Last production date: Sept. 2010
The incandescent light bulb (invented by Thomas Edison) has been phased out.
Our last major factory that made incandescent light bulbs closed in September 2010. In 2007, Congress passed a measure that will ban incandescents by 2014, prompting GE to close its domestic factory.
Note: A reader pointed out that the Osram/Sylvania Plant in St. Mary's, Penn. is still producing light bulbs to fill old and international contracts. However, the plant has announced plans to wind down incandescent production.
.
GM is canceling the 84-year-old brand after winding down production over the past few years. Like other American automakers, it is restructuring and rebranding to compete with foreign companies.
Pontiac joins a long list of iconic products that aren't made anywhere in America.
Meanwhile, plenty of beer is still made here, but many of America’s most-iconic beer brands, including Miller, Coors, and Budweiser, are owned by foreign companies. In 2008, Anheuser-Busch, the St. Louis-based company that has a nearly 50 percent market share in the U.S., was sold to InBev, a Belgium-based conglomerate run by Brazilian executives. In the accompanying video, Julie McIntosh, author of Dethroning the King: The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch, an American Icon, discusses the deal with Yahoo! Finance economics editor Daniel Gross.
Here are 18 Iconic Products That America Doesn't Make Anymore:"
Rawlings baseballs
Last production date: 1969
Rawlings is the official supplier of baseballs to Major League Baseball. The St. Louis shop was founded in 1887 by George and Alfred Rawlings. In 1969 the brothers moved the baseball-manufacturing plant from Puerto Rico to Haiti and then later to Costa Rica.
Etch a Sketch
Last production date: 2000
Etch A Sketch, an iconic American toy since the 1960s, used to be produced in Bryan, Ohio, a small town of 8,000. Then in Dec. 2000, toymaker Ohio Art decided to move production to Shenzhen, China.
Converse shoes
Last production date: 2001
Marquis M. Converse opened Converse Rubber Show Company in Massachusetts in 1908. Chuck Taylors– named after All American high school basketball player Chuck Taylor– began selling in 1918 as the show eventually produced an industry record of over 550 million pairs by 1997. But in 2001 sales were on the decline and the U.S. factory closed. Now Chuck Taylors are made in Indonesia.
Stainless steel rebar
Last production date: circa 2001
Many forms of this basic steel product are not available domestically. Multiple waivers to the Buy America Act have allowed purchase of rebar internationally.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Dress shirts*
Last production date: Oct. 2002
The last major shirt factory in America closed in October 2002, according to NYT. C.F. Hathaway's Maine factory had been producing shirts since 1837.
*We know there are other shirt manufacturers in America. They do not produce in large quantities or supply major brands.
Mattel toys
Last production date: 2002
The largest toy company in the world closed their last American factory in 2002. Mattel, headquartered in California, produces 65 percent of their products in China as of August 2007.
Minivans
Last production date: circa 2003
A waiver to the Buy America Act permitted an American producer of wheel-chair accessible minivans to purchase Canadian chassis for use in government contracts, because no chassis were available from the United States. The waiver specified: "General Motors and Chrysler minivan chassis, including those used on the Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana, Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Chrysler Town & Country, and Dodge Grand Caravan, are no longer manufactured in the United States."
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Vending machines
Last production date: circa 2003
You know that thing you put bills into on a vending machine? It isn’t made in America, according to a waiver to the Buy America Act.
Neither is the coin dispenser, according to this federal waiver.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Levi jeans
Last production date: Dec. 2003
Levi Strauss & Co. shut down all its American operations and outsourced production to Latin America and Asia in Dec. 2003. The company's denim products have been an iconic American product for 150 years.
Radio Flyer's Red Wagon
Last production date: March 2004
The little red wagon has been an iconic image of America for years. But once Radio Flyer decided its Chicago plant was too expensive, it began producing most products, including the red wagon, in China.
Televisions
Last production date: Oct. 2004
Five Rivers Electronic Innovations was the last American owned TV color maker in the US. The Tennessee company used LCoS (liquid crystal on silicon) technology to produce televisions for Philips Electronics. But after Philips decided to stop selling TVs with LCoS, Five Rivers eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Oct. 2004. As part of its reorganization plan, the company stopped manufacturing TVs.
Now there are ZERO televisions made in America, according to Business Week.
Cell phones
Last production date: circa 2007
Of the 1.2 billion cell phones sold worldwide in 2008, NOT ONE was made in America, according to Manufacturing & Technology publisher Richard McCormick.
After studying the websites of cell phone companies, we could not identify a single phone that was not manufactured primarily overseas.
Railroads (parts including manganese turnout castings, U69 guard bars, LV braces and weld kits)
Last production date: circa 2008
Here's another standout from dozens of waivers to the Buy America Act: railroad turnouts and weld kits.
Manganese turnout castings are used to widen railroad tracks, and they were used to build our once-great railroad system. U69 guard bars, LV braces and Weld Kits, along with 22 mm Industrial steel chain are basic items that were certifiably not available in the US.
Note: The Buy America Act requires government mass transportation spending to use American products.
Dell computers
Last production date: Jan. 2010
In January 2010, Dell closed its North Carolina PC factory, its last large U.S. plant. Analysts said Dell would be outsourcing work to Asian manufacturers in an attempt to catch up with the rest of the industry, said analyst Ashok Kumar.
Canned sardines
Last production date: April 2010
Stinson Seafood plant, the last sardine cannery in Maine and the U.S., shut down in April. The first U.S. sardine cannery opened in Maine in 1875, but since the demand for the small, oily fish declined, more canneries closed shop.
Pontiac cars
Last production date: May 2010
The last Pontiac was produced last May. The brand was formally killed on Halloween, as GM contracts Pontiac dealerships expired.
The 84-year-old GM brand was famous for muscle cars.
Forks, spoons, and knives
Last production date: June 2010
The last flatware factory in the US closed last summer. Sherrill Manufacturing bought Oneida Ltd. in 2005, but shut down its fork & knife operations due to the tough economy. CEO Greg Owens says his company may resume production "when the general economic climate improves and as Sherrill Manufacturing is able to put itself back on its feet and recapitalize and regroup."
Incandescent light bulb
Last production date: Sept. 2010
The incandescent light bulb (invented by Thomas Edison) has been phased out.
Our last major factory that made incandescent light bulbs closed in September 2010. In 2007, Congress passed a measure that will ban incandescents by 2014, prompting GE to close its domestic factory.
Note: A reader pointed out that the Osram/Sylvania Plant in St. Mary's, Penn. is still producing light bulbs to fill old and international contracts. However, the plant has announced plans to wind down incandescent production.
.
New drug tunnel found at U.S.-Mexico border - Yahoo! News
New drug tunnel found at U.S.-Mexico border - Yahoo! News: "SAN DIEGO (Reuters) – U.S. border agents said on Friday they had found a multimillion dollar drug-smuggling tunnel under the U.S.-Mexico border that is more sophisticated than one discovered less than three weeks ago in the same area.
The tunnel is half a mile long and reaches to about 90 feet deep, contains two entrances on the U.S. side of the border and is outfitted with advanced rail, electrical and ventilation systems, officials with the San Diego Tunnel Task Force said.
On the Mexican side the underground passage, which is tall enough for a grown man to stand in, emerges in the kitchen of a stucco house in Tijuana, where it is capped with a hydraulic steel door, the officials said.
The tunnel walls are fortified with wood and cinderblock supports, and the Tijuana house has a garage large enough to accommodate deliveries by large trucks."
The tunnel is half a mile long and reaches to about 90 feet deep, contains two entrances on the U.S. side of the border and is outfitted with advanced rail, electrical and ventilation systems, officials with the San Diego Tunnel Task Force said.
On the Mexican side the underground passage, which is tall enough for a grown man to stand in, emerges in the kitchen of a stucco house in Tijuana, where it is capped with a hydraulic steel door, the officials said.
The tunnel walls are fortified with wood and cinderblock supports, and the Tijuana house has a garage large enough to accommodate deliveries by large trucks."
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Is Your New Neighbor a Squatter? | NBC Los Angeles
Is Your New Neighbor a Squatter? | NBC Los Angeles: "In an upscale enclave in the San Fernando Valley, there's a new neighbor on the block. He drives a big Mercedes, sometimes a fancy SUV and residents say he's been living in a three-story mansion, which was empty and going into foreclosure.
His name is Dawud Walli, and neighbors say he moved into a huge empty home last July, furnishing nearly every room of the house.
'We feel unsafe. We can't sleep. We have families,' say some of the residents who live nearby.
They say Walli made this a party house.
Inside a Squatter HouseInside, we found booze and condoms scattered about. But no one really knew what went on here, because some of the windows were covered with tape and garbage bags.
'They don't want to make contact with the neighbors. They do not want to make eye contact with you. They do not talk to you,' says someone who lives nearby.
Prosecutors say this is happening across Southern California.
They've caught squatters illegally living in homes in Bel-Air, Marina Del Rey and Winnetka.
'It's a huge problem and growing every day,' says Los Angeles City Attorney Maureen Rodriguez.
'It's just amazing how nervy they can be: presenting false leases,' says Rodriguez.
Police believe that's what Walli did. When neighbors asked police to evict him, he showed the cops a lease, which says he was renting from the owner, supposedly named Mike Fassi.
We tried to question Walli about that lease. When we asked him if he had a lease to be in the house he said, 'That's none of your business.'"
Maybe banks had it coming.
His name is Dawud Walli, and neighbors say he moved into a huge empty home last July, furnishing nearly every room of the house.
'We feel unsafe. We can't sleep. We have families,' say some of the residents who live nearby.
They say Walli made this a party house.
Inside a Squatter HouseInside, we found booze and condoms scattered about. But no one really knew what went on here, because some of the windows were covered with tape and garbage bags.
'They don't want to make contact with the neighbors. They do not want to make eye contact with you. They do not talk to you,' says someone who lives nearby.
Prosecutors say this is happening across Southern California.
They've caught squatters illegally living in homes in Bel-Air, Marina Del Rey and Winnetka.
'It's a huge problem and growing every day,' says Los Angeles City Attorney Maureen Rodriguez.
'It's just amazing how nervy they can be: presenting false leases,' says Rodriguez.
Police believe that's what Walli did. When neighbors asked police to evict him, he showed the cops a lease, which says he was renting from the owner, supposedly named Mike Fassi.
We tried to question Walli about that lease. When we asked him if he had a lease to be in the house he said, 'That's none of your business.'"
Maybe banks had it coming.
Ron Paul: Crotch Groped by TSA, Calls for Boycott of Airlines
Ron Paul: Crotch Groped by TSA, Calls for Boycott of Airlines: "Appearing on the Alex Jones Show today, Texas Congressman Ron Paul expressed his outrage and disgust with the TSA and its unconstitutional naked body scanners and genital groping under the transparent pretense of protecting the American people from terrorists in distant caves."
Responding to Alex Jones’ assertion that the TSA’s actions are akin to what the Nazis did in Germany during the 1930s, Ron Paul said that we long ago capitulated on “showing our papers” and now routinely provide Social Security numbers to employers and show our government issued driver’s license as an accepted form of identification. “Now the government wants us to show them our genitalia and they want to take pictures of us and put their hands into our pants,” he said.
Paul said due to pervasive coverage of TSA abuses by the corporate media, the American people are now beginning to ask serious questions about government conduct.
“I think it’s a healthy wake-up call to a lot of Americans,” Paul told Jones. “I just hope they can work that in to the whole concept of what’s been going on with our country for a long time – the government is too big and intrusive and abuses our rights and they do the things the shouldn’t be doing and they forget about the things they were instructed to do.”
Congressman Paul said in the course of his work representing the people of Texas he has to endure TSA abuse, including the latest “enhanced pat down” that verges on sexual molestation. “I have to go through that all the time because I have metal in my knees,” he explained. “I get prodded all the time and it is disgusting and I tell them so.”
When asked by Alex Jones if the TSA had subjected him to an “enhanced” screening, Ron Paul answered yes.
“Specifically,” Alex asked, “have you had the enhanced pat down, sir? Have they touched your crotch?”
“Yes. Absolutely, and like I said, absolutely disgusting,” Paul responded.
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He said he believes a boycott of the airlines will be necessary if we are going to force the government to back down and stop acting like a sexual predator. “I am going to be doing everything conceivable to try to change these rules because they are not making us safer, they aren’t better for us – it’s just to enhance the power of the state.”
Responding to Alex Jones’ assertion that the TSA’s actions are akin to what the Nazis did in Germany during the 1930s, Ron Paul said that we long ago capitulated on “showing our papers” and now routinely provide Social Security numbers to employers and show our government issued driver’s license as an accepted form of identification. “Now the government wants us to show them our genitalia and they want to take pictures of us and put their hands into our pants,” he said.
Paul said due to pervasive coverage of TSA abuses by the corporate media, the American people are now beginning to ask serious questions about government conduct.
“I think it’s a healthy wake-up call to a lot of Americans,” Paul told Jones. “I just hope they can work that in to the whole concept of what’s been going on with our country for a long time – the government is too big and intrusive and abuses our rights and they do the things the shouldn’t be doing and they forget about the things they were instructed to do.”
Congressman Paul said in the course of his work representing the people of Texas he has to endure TSA abuse, including the latest “enhanced pat down” that verges on sexual molestation. “I have to go through that all the time because I have metal in my knees,” he explained. “I get prodded all the time and it is disgusting and I tell them so.”
When asked by Alex Jones if the TSA had subjected him to an “enhanced” screening, Ron Paul answered yes.
“Specifically,” Alex asked, “have you had the enhanced pat down, sir? Have they touched your crotch?”
“Yes. Absolutely, and like I said, absolutely disgusting,” Paul responded.
Fresh food that lasts from eFoods Direct (Ad)
He said he believes a boycott of the airlines will be necessary if we are going to force the government to back down and stop acting like a sexual predator. “I am going to be doing everything conceivable to try to change these rules because they are not making us safer, they aren’t better for us – it’s just to enhance the power of the state.”
DOD tries to uncover secret of flying snakes
An unusual breed of Asian snakes can glide long distances in the air, and the Department of Defense is funding research at Virginia Tech to find out why.
Most animals that glide do so with fixed wings or a wing-like part. But not the "flying snakes" of Southeast Asia, India and southern China - at least five members of the genus Chrysopelea.
As video of the reptiles show, they undulate from side to side, in almost an air-slithering, to create an aerodynamic system. It allows them to travel from the top of the biggest trees in the region (almost 200 feet high) to a spot about 780 feet away from the tree's trunk.
(Video of an Asian flying snake taking to the air.)
"Basically . . .they become one long wing,"
An unusual breed of Asian snakes can glide long distances in the air, and the Department of Defense is funding research at Virginia Tech to find out why.
Most animals that glide do so with fixed wings or a wing-like part. But not the "flying snakes" of Southeast Asia, India and southern China - at least five members of the genus Chrysopelea.
As video of the reptiles show, they undulate from side to side, in almost an air-slithering, to create an aerodynamic system. It allows them to travel from the top of the biggest trees in the region (almost 200 feet high) to a spot about 780 feet away from the tree's trunk.
(Video of an Asian flying snake taking to the air.)
"Basically . . .they become one long wing,"
An unusual breed of Asian snakes can glide long distances in the air, and the Department of Defense is funding research at Virginia Tech to find out why.
In Harrisonville, thousands line street to keep Phelps clan away from soldier’s funeral - KansasCity.com
In Harrisonville, thousands line street to keep Phelps clan away from soldier’s funeral - KansasCity.com: "As if a bell tolled a neighbor’s trouble, folks came running.
The first showed up before the sun Tuesday, huddling and shivering in the cold and the dark. Others soon came, and before long their numbers stretched a block on both sides of Mechanic Street in front of Harrisonville’s Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.
People drove from three or four counties away. Buses arrived, bellowing exhaust into the cold, bringing loads of schoolkids and senior citizens. People took off work. Some brought dogs. Farmers parked pickups nearby.
It wasn’t a fire, but a burning sense of what was the decent thing to do for one of their own who had given his all.
By 9 a.m., an hour before the funeral of Army Cpl. Jacob R. Carver, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people, many of them waving American flags, lined nearly a half-mile of the street in front of the church, making sure Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church/family congregation were crowded out, peacefully kept far from shouting distance of the funeral."
My hats off to these people!
The first showed up before the sun Tuesday, huddling and shivering in the cold and the dark. Others soon came, and before long their numbers stretched a block on both sides of Mechanic Street in front of Harrisonville’s Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.
People drove from three or four counties away. Buses arrived, bellowing exhaust into the cold, bringing loads of schoolkids and senior citizens. People took off work. Some brought dogs. Farmers parked pickups nearby.
It wasn’t a fire, but a burning sense of what was the decent thing to do for one of their own who had given his all.
By 9 a.m., an hour before the funeral of Army Cpl. Jacob R. Carver, an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 people, many of them waving American flags, lined nearly a half-mile of the street in front of the church, making sure Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church/family congregation were crowded out, peacefully kept far from shouting distance of the funeral."
My hats off to these people!
Traveler Wears Bikini Through LAX Security
Traveler Wears Bikini Through LAX Security: "Unwilling to submit to the TSA's controversial full-body scan, one enterprising traveler at LAX hoped to bypass the dreaded pat-down by wearing only a bikini through the security checkpoint.
While the merits of wearing a bikini to the airport in the name of advocating personal privacy are debatable, it did provide more fuel to fire this story in this traditionally slow news week."
While the merits of wearing a bikini to the airport in the name of advocating personal privacy are debatable, it did provide more fuel to fire this story in this traditionally slow news week."
Turkey Spared -- But Obama's Compassion For Humans Comes Up Short
Turkey Spared -- But Obama's Compassion For Humans Comes Up Short: "WASHINGTON -- In one of the White House's sillier annual rituals, Barack Obama on Wednesday pardoned the second Thanksgiving turkey of his presidency.
He has, however, yet to pardon a single human.
A president's power to grant clemency is broad, unilateral and absolute. Obama, a constitutional lawyer by training, and the first African-American president, could issue pardons and commutations that make a powerful statement about the justice system past and present.
Indeed, presidents have a responsibility to use their pardon power to correct the excesses and errors of a system that is inevitably imperfect, often overloaded, and especially in this era of mandatory sentences, overly rigid.
Obama's grants could speak volumes about fairness, forgiveness, rehabilitation and renewal. He could restore rights, right wrongs, and bring freedom to the unduly oppressed.
But he chooses not to."
Who knew???? 71 pardons requested. 71 pardons turned down. Only George W. Bush was this slow. Obama is on track to beat him!
He has, however, yet to pardon a single human.
A president's power to grant clemency is broad, unilateral and absolute. Obama, a constitutional lawyer by training, and the first African-American president, could issue pardons and commutations that make a powerful statement about the justice system past and present.
Indeed, presidents have a responsibility to use their pardon power to correct the excesses and errors of a system that is inevitably imperfect, often overloaded, and especially in this era of mandatory sentences, overly rigid.
Obama's grants could speak volumes about fairness, forgiveness, rehabilitation and renewal. He could restore rights, right wrongs, and bring freedom to the unduly oppressed.
But he chooses not to."
Who knew???? 71 pardons requested. 71 pardons turned down. Only George W. Bush was this slow. Obama is on track to beat him!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Robert Dean Cites 4th Amendment Violation, Sues TSA Over Full-Body Scans
Robert Dean Cites 4th Amendment Violation, Sues TSA Over Full-Body Scans: "LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An Arkansas man has filed a federal lawsuit against the Transportation Security Administration, claiming that the agency's new screening rules are detrimental to his 'emotional, psychological and mental well-being.'
Robert Dean filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Little Rock, even though the Little Rock National Airport does not yet have the full-body scanners that have drawn criticism throughout the country. Dean's lawsuit asks a federal judge to issue an injunction stopping the TSA from conducting full-body pat-down searches and using the full-body imaging scanners.
The lawsuit claims that the new practices violate Dean's civil rights and his Fourth Amendment right protecting against unlawful searches and seizures.
TSA says it does not comment on pending litigation."
Who did not see this coming??
Robert Dean filed the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Little Rock, even though the Little Rock National Airport does not yet have the full-body scanners that have drawn criticism throughout the country. Dean's lawsuit asks a federal judge to issue an injunction stopping the TSA from conducting full-body pat-down searches and using the full-body imaging scanners.
The lawsuit claims that the new practices violate Dean's civil rights and his Fourth Amendment right protecting against unlawful searches and seizures.
TSA says it does not comment on pending litigation."
Who did not see this coming??
Fear Pays: Chertoff, Ex-Security Officials Slammed For Cashing In On Government Experience
Fear Pays: Chertoff, Ex-Security Officials Slammed For Cashing In On Government Experience: "After last month's plot to send bombs from Yemen to the United States aboard a cargo plane, former U.S. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff's whiskerless visage was ubiquitous on cable news. Solemnly warning that the nation needed stronger security procedures, Chertoff patiently repeated his talking points on ABC News's 'World News Tonight', 'Fox and Friends', CNBC's 'Squawk Box' and Bloomberg TV.
Almost unmentioned in these appearances: Chertoff has a lot to gain financially if some of these measures are adopted. Between his private consulting firm, The Chertoff Group, and seats on the boards of giant defense and security firms, he sits at the heart of the giant security nexus created in the wake of 9/11, in effect creating a shadow homeland security agency. Chertoff launched his firm just days after President Barack Obama took office, eventually recruiting at least 11 top officials from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as former CIA director General Michael Hayden and other top military brass and security officials."
Almost unmentioned in these appearances: Chertoff has a lot to gain financially if some of these measures are adopted. Between his private consulting firm, The Chertoff Group, and seats on the boards of giant defense and security firms, he sits at the heart of the giant security nexus created in the wake of 9/11, in effect creating a shadow homeland security agency. Chertoff launched his firm just days after President Barack Obama took office, eventually recruiting at least 11 top officials from the Department of Homeland Security, as well as former CIA director General Michael Hayden and other top military brass and security officials."
North Korean Attack
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Engineering Acceptable Air Transportation Safety with a focus on preventing and reducing worst case scenarios( Was Full Body Scanning Necessary)
What we are doing now is playing on people's fears. Read.
Engineering Acceptable Air Transportation Safety with a focus on preventing and reducing worst case scenarios: "There is too much of a focus on perfecting air travel safety. The USA is spending about $6 billion each year on air travel security and the extra wait times from post-September 11 security procedures add another $8 billion ($50/hour for business and $15/hour for everyone else. Greater use of full-body scanners instead of metal detectors would very likely increase wait times and thus raise those costs. Poole says that getting a passenger through a full-body scanner takes about 30 seconds longer than through a metal detector.
Because driving is so much more dangerous than flying, the thousands of more people who took to the roads rather than the skies after September 11 led to more car accidents. Blalock estimated that from September of 2001 to October of 2003, the enhanced airport security led to 2,300 road fatalities that otherwise would not have occurred. If security delays were to lengthen again, a similar driving fatality effect could happen, Blalock says, as more travelers choose to drive to avoid the increased inconveniences of flying.
So you also have to consider the safety of the overall transportation situation, because more people driving means more fatalities. If we can make the worst case on the airplane the same as bus or train terrorism then that would be a reasonable level. We will not need to overprotect planes if we make buses or trains the targets.
"They placed about 80 grams of PETN's base material, pentaerythritol, near the 747's fuselage where Abdulmutallab was seated. Eighty grams of pentaerythritol contains about the same explosive power as a hand grenade, but lacks the the hot, sharp metal fragments of an actual grenade that cause so much damage. The BBC set up cameras and Wyatt set off the explosives.
In the BBC documentary, entitled "How Safe Are Our Skies," the controlled detonation of the explosives lasted a scant 0.94 milliseconds, but the results were clear to cameras. Shock waves rippled through the exterior aluminum skin of the aircraft like fat water drops of water hitting the surface of a smooth pond.
The metal was permanently bowed out, and a handful of rivets were punched out, but no gaping holes appeared. The pressurized air inside the cabin would have slowly leaked out of the missing rivets, said Joseph, a non- life-threatening situation. The amount of explosives was "nowhere near enough" to bring down the plane, concluded Wyatt and Joseph
Engineering Acceptable Air Transportation Safety with a focus on preventing and reducing worst case scenarios: "There is too much of a focus on perfecting air travel safety. The USA is spending about $6 billion each year on air travel security and the extra wait times from post-September 11 security procedures add another $8 billion ($50/hour for business and $15/hour for everyone else. Greater use of full-body scanners instead of metal detectors would very likely increase wait times and thus raise those costs. Poole says that getting a passenger through a full-body scanner takes about 30 seconds longer than through a metal detector.
Because driving is so much more dangerous than flying, the thousands of more people who took to the roads rather than the skies after September 11 led to more car accidents. Blalock estimated that from September of 2001 to October of 2003, the enhanced airport security led to 2,300 road fatalities that otherwise would not have occurred. If security delays were to lengthen again, a similar driving fatality effect could happen, Blalock says, as more travelers choose to drive to avoid the increased inconveniences of flying.
So you also have to consider the safety of the overall transportation situation, because more people driving means more fatalities. If we can make the worst case on the airplane the same as bus or train terrorism then that would be a reasonable level. We will not need to overprotect planes if we make buses or trains the targets.
"They placed about 80 grams of PETN's base material, pentaerythritol, near the 747's fuselage where Abdulmutallab was seated. Eighty grams of pentaerythritol contains about the same explosive power as a hand grenade, but lacks the the hot, sharp metal fragments of an actual grenade that cause so much damage. The BBC set up cameras and Wyatt set off the explosives.
In the BBC documentary, entitled "How Safe Are Our Skies," the controlled detonation of the explosives lasted a scant 0.94 milliseconds, but the results were clear to cameras. Shock waves rippled through the exterior aluminum skin of the aircraft like fat water drops of water hitting the surface of a smooth pond.
The metal was permanently bowed out, and a handful of rivets were punched out, but no gaping holes appeared. The pressurized air inside the cabin would have slowly leaked out of the missing rivets, said Joseph, a non- life-threatening situation. The amount of explosives was "nowhere near enough" to bring down the plane, concluded Wyatt and Joseph
Monday, November 22, 2010
Mutilated Body Found in Boston Suburb Identified as North Carolina Student - FoxNews.com
Mutilated Body Found in Boston Suburb Identified as North Carolina Student - FoxNews.com: "Police have identified a mutilated body found on a quiet residential street in a Boston suburb as that of a missing North Carolina teenager, MyFoxBoston.com reports.
The Norfolk County district attorney's office confirmed that the body found is 16-year-old Delvonte Tisdale, according to the station.
The North Mecklenburg High School student was reportedly last seen in Charlotte on Sunday. A missing person report was filed Monday, the day the unidentified body was found in Milton, Mass. The victim was not carrying identification.
Police told the Boston Herald that the victim suffered severe head trauma as well as broken arms and legs. His body -- dressed in a pair of jeans over gray boxer shorts with no shirt -- was found on the front lawn of an upscale home, the newspaper reports.
Authorities have described the victim as black, about 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds."
The Norfolk County district attorney's office confirmed that the body found is 16-year-old Delvonte Tisdale, according to the station.
The North Mecklenburg High School student was reportedly last seen in Charlotte on Sunday. A missing person report was filed Monday, the day the unidentified body was found in Milton, Mass. The victim was not carrying identification.
Police told the Boston Herald that the victim suffered severe head trauma as well as broken arms and legs. His body -- dressed in a pair of jeans over gray boxer shorts with no shirt -- was found on the front lawn of an upscale home, the newspaper reports.
Authorities have described the victim as black, about 5 feet 4 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 120 pounds."
JFK's Assassination, 47 Years Later
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Body scanner makers doubled lobbying cash over 5 years - USATODAY.com
Body scanner makers doubled lobbying cash over 5 years - USATODAY.com: "WASHINGTON — The companies with multimillion-dollar contracts to supply American airports with body-scanning machines more than doubled their spending on lobbying in the past five years and hired several high-profile former government officials to advance their causes in Washington, government records show.
L-3 Communications, which has sold $39.7 million worth of the machines to the federal government, spent $4.3 million trying to influence Congress and federal agencies during the first nine months of this year, up from $2.1 million in 2005, lobbying data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics show. Its lobbyists include Linda Daschle, a former Federal Aviation Administration official.
Rapiscan Systems, meanwhile, has spent $271,500 on lobbying so far this year, compared with $80,000 five years earlier. It has faced criticism for hiring Michael Chertoff, the former Homeland Security secretary, last year. Chertoff has been a prominent proponent of using scanners to foil terrorism. The government has spent $41.2 million with Rapiscan."
L-3 Communications, which has sold $39.7 million worth of the machines to the federal government, spent $4.3 million trying to influence Congress and federal agencies during the first nine months of this year, up from $2.1 million in 2005, lobbying data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics show. Its lobbyists include Linda Daschle, a former Federal Aviation Administration official.
Rapiscan Systems, meanwhile, has spent $271,500 on lobbying so far this year, compared with $80,000 five years earlier. It has faced criticism for hiring Michael Chertoff, the former Homeland Security secretary, last year. Chertoff has been a prominent proponent of using scanners to foil terrorism. The government has spent $41.2 million with Rapiscan."
Passenger Chooses Strip-Down Over Pat-Down | NBC San Diego
Passenger Chooses Strip-Down Over Pat-Down NBC San Diego: "When a San Diego man opted out of security screening using the Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) at Lindbergh Field Friday, he stripped down to his underwear in an attempt to avoid the pat-down procedures.Samuel Wolanyk took the protest started Nov. 13 by Oceanside's John Tyner to a whole new level.
While Tyner videotaped his refusal to be patted down, telling the agent 'If you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested,' Wolanyk decided to give TSA a look at his body down to his Calvin Klein's.
Through a statement released by his attorney Sunday night, Wolanyk said 'TSA needs to see that I'm not carrying any weapons, explosives, or other prohibited substances, I refuse to have images of my naked body viewed by perfect strangers, and having been felt up for the first time by TSA the week prior (I travel frequently) I was not willing to be molested again.'"
While Tyner videotaped his refusal to be patted down, telling the agent 'If you touch my junk, I'll have you arrested,' Wolanyk decided to give TSA a look at his body down to his Calvin Klein's.
Through a statement released by his attorney Sunday night, Wolanyk said 'TSA needs to see that I'm not carrying any weapons, explosives, or other prohibited substances, I refuse to have images of my naked body viewed by perfect strangers, and having been felt up for the first time by TSA the week prior (I travel frequently) I was not willing to be molested again.'"
Woman on TSA pat downs: 'I feel molested'
Woman on TSA pat downs: 'I feel molested': "Miernik said the worst experience she had came when her 7-year-old granddaughter was at the airport with her. When her granddaughter saw the pat down, “She went ‘Grandmama, they touched you on your special girl spots.’”
Miernik was mortified, as was her granddaughter, she said.. She believes the pat downs are unnecessarily intrusive, and she hasn’t even experienced the “more aggressive” pat downs the TSA started employing Oct. 29.
“If this happened to me in college on a date, I would have called the police,” Miernik said.
TSA, though, has maintained the aggressive pat downs are an important measure in preventing any exploding device from making it onto a plane.
On Saturday, President Obama said the pat downs “cause huge inconveniences for all of us,” adding that he “understood people’s frustrations.”
Miernik said she once wrote a letter to TSA complaining about the pat downs. She said they responded that, as an American, she didn’t have to submit to the body scanners or the pat downs. They added, though, that she would have to find a different form of transportation."
Ok this has got to stop. What is the amount of explosives it takes to bring down an airliner? ALOT (more than can be found in someone's pants)!!! I thought so.
Miernik was mortified, as was her granddaughter, she said.. She believes the pat downs are unnecessarily intrusive, and she hasn’t even experienced the “more aggressive” pat downs the TSA started employing Oct. 29.
“If this happened to me in college on a date, I would have called the police,” Miernik said.
TSA, though, has maintained the aggressive pat downs are an important measure in preventing any exploding device from making it onto a plane.
On Saturday, President Obama said the pat downs “cause huge inconveniences for all of us,” adding that he “understood people’s frustrations.”
Miernik said she once wrote a letter to TSA complaining about the pat downs. She said they responded that, as an American, she didn’t have to submit to the body scanners or the pat downs. They added, though, that she would have to find a different form of transportation."
Ok this has got to stop. What is the amount of explosives it takes to bring down an airliner? ALOT (more than can be found in someone's pants)!!! I thought so.
Pentagon Warns Congress To Hurry Up On DADT Repeal
Pentagon Warns Congress To Hurry Up On DADT Repeal: "SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — The Pentagon's top leaders warned Sunday that if Congress fails to repeal the ban on gays serving openly in the military, the courts may order changes that military leaders consider too fast or poorly thought-out.
The Pentagon is trying to make it easier for the Senate to consider lifting the ban in the current postelection session. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday he will release a study of the effects of repeal on Nov. 30, a day earlier than planned.
That could allow the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings on the ban the same week.
The report on the impact of lifting the ban is meant as a guide for Congress as it considers what the Pentagon hopes will be a gradual and carefully calibrated change.
The Washington Post has reported that the study concludes the military can lift the ban with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts."
The Pentagon is trying to make it easier for the Senate to consider lifting the ban in the current postelection session. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Sunday he will release a study of the effects of repeal on Nov. 30, a day earlier than planned.
That could allow the Senate Armed Services Committee to hold hearings on the ban the same week.
The report on the impact of lifting the ban is meant as a guide for Congress as it considers what the Pentagon hopes will be a gradual and carefully calibrated change.
The Washington Post has reported that the study concludes the military can lift the ban with only minimal and isolated incidents of risk to the current war efforts."
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death - latimes.com
Flaws can cancel life insurance — after death - latimes.com: "American General Life Insurance Co. markets its policies as protection for 'the hopes and dreams of American families' — a promise Ian Weissberger took to heart during his losing battle with Lou Gehrig's disease.
But after the Cathedral City mortgage broker died in 2005, American General cancelled his life insurance policy and refused to pay his widow the $250,000 benefit.
The Weissbergers' premiums were paid up. There was no foul play suspected. There was no question Sheila Weissberger was the widow and sole beneficiary. And Ian's illness was diagnosed months after he took out the policy.
The problem, the insurer told Sheila Weissberger, was that Ian's application for coverage was incomplete.
American General concluded that he had failed to disclose conditions, including bipolar disorder and pulmonary disease, that, according to his doctors, he did not have.
For the company, which collected $2.3 billion in premiums last year, the amount at issue was minute. But it was no small matter for Sheila, 62, who reached a confidential financial settlement with American General earlier this year.
'I lost my house. I lost everything,' she said in an interview. 'It was very, very devastating.'"
But after the Cathedral City mortgage broker died in 2005, American General cancelled his life insurance policy and refused to pay his widow the $250,000 benefit.
The Weissbergers' premiums were paid up. There was no foul play suspected. There was no question Sheila Weissberger was the widow and sole beneficiary. And Ian's illness was diagnosed months after he took out the policy.
The problem, the insurer told Sheila Weissberger, was that Ian's application for coverage was incomplete.
American General concluded that he had failed to disclose conditions, including bipolar disorder and pulmonary disease, that, according to his doctors, he did not have.
For the company, which collected $2.3 billion in premiums last year, the amount at issue was minute. But it was no small matter for Sheila, 62, who reached a confidential financial settlement with American General earlier this year.
'I lost my house. I lost everything,' she said in an interview. 'It was very, very devastating.'"
Sunday, November 21, 2010
TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine - Travel - News - msnbc.com
TSA pat-down leaves traveler covered in urine - Travel - News - msnbc.com: "A retired special education teacher on his way to a wedding in Orlando, Fla., said he was left humiliated, crying and covered with his own urine after an enhanced pat-down by TSA officers recently at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
“I was absolutely humiliated, I couldn’t even speak,” said Thomas D. “Tom” Sawyer, 61, of Lansing, Mich.
Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor who now wears a urostomy bag, which collects his urine from a stoma, or opening in his stomach. “I have to wear special clothes and in order to mount the bag I have to seal a wafer to my stomach and then attach the bag. If the seal is broken, urine can leak all over my body and clothes.”
On Nov. 7, Sawyer said he went through the security scanner at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. “Evidently the scanner picked up on my urostomy bag, because I was chosen for a pat-down procedure.”
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to be screened in private. “One officer looked at another, rolled his eyes and said that they really didn’t have any place to take me,” said Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy, they took me to an office.”"
Is this necessary!
“I was absolutely humiliated, I couldn’t even speak,” said Thomas D. “Tom” Sawyer, 61, of Lansing, Mich.
Sawyer is a bladder cancer survivor who now wears a urostomy bag, which collects his urine from a stoma, or opening in his stomach. “I have to wear special clothes and in order to mount the bag I have to seal a wafer to my stomach and then attach the bag. If the seal is broken, urine can leak all over my body and clothes.”
On Nov. 7, Sawyer said he went through the security scanner at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. “Evidently the scanner picked up on my urostomy bag, because I was chosen for a pat-down procedure.”
Due to his medical condition, Sawyer asked to be screened in private. “One officer looked at another, rolled his eyes and said that they really didn’t have any place to take me,” said Sawyer. “After I said again that I’d like privacy, they took me to an office.”"
Is this necessary!
Pope's Comments Set Off Firestorm - WSJ.com
Pope's Comments Set Off Firestorm - WSJ.com: "VATICAN CITY—The Vatican on Sunday rushed to clarify a recent interview by Pope Benedict XVI, in which the pontiff states for the first time that there may be some cases in which the Roman Catholic Church's ban on condoms isn't absolute.
The pope made the comments in a book-length interview over the summer with the German writer Peter Seewald that will be officially released this week. Mr. Seewald asked the pope about criticism of the Vatican's perceived opposition to condom use to fight the spread of HIV-AIDS in Africa.
The pope's response, while carefully couched, has ricocheted around the globe, reigniting one of the most tensely debated issues facing the Roman Catholic Church. To some, the interview signaled a radical shift in the Church's approach to combating the spread of AIDS as well as an unprecedented departure from the Church's long-time practice of condemning any form of condom use."
The pope made the comments in a book-length interview over the summer with the German writer Peter Seewald that will be officially released this week. Mr. Seewald asked the pope about criticism of the Vatican's perceived opposition to condom use to fight the spread of HIV-AIDS in Africa.
The pope's response, while carefully couched, has ricocheted around the globe, reigniting one of the most tensely debated issues facing the Roman Catholic Church. To some, the interview signaled a radical shift in the Church's approach to combating the spread of AIDS as well as an unprecedented departure from the Church's long-time practice of condemning any form of condom use."
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Cedric Miller AFFAIR: Facebook-Banning Pastor Admits To Threesome With Wife And Male Church Assistant
Cedric Miller AFFAIR: Facebook-Banning Pastor Admits To Threesome With Wife And Male Church Assistant: "NEPTUNE TOWNSHIP, N.J. -- A New Jersey pastor who said Facebook was a 'portal to infidelity' and told married church leaders to delete their accounts or resign once testified that he had a three-way sexual relationship with his wife and a male church assistant.
In Saturday editions of the Asbury Park Press, the Rev. Cedric Miller confirmed the testimony he gave in 2003 in a criminal case against the assistant. The relationship had ended by that time, and the case eventually was dismissed.
Miller gained national attention this week when he issued the Facebook edict. He said it came about because much of the marital counseling he has performed over the past year and a half has concerned infidelity stemming from the social network site.
The 48-year-old leader of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune Township claimed Facebook ignites old passions."
In Saturday editions of the Asbury Park Press, the Rev. Cedric Miller confirmed the testimony he gave in 2003 in a criminal case against the assistant. The relationship had ended by that time, and the case eventually was dismissed.
Miller gained national attention this week when he issued the Facebook edict. He said it came about because much of the marital counseling he has performed over the past year and a half has concerned infidelity stemming from the social network site.
The 48-year-old leader of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune Township claimed Facebook ignites old passions."
2,000 Fetuses Found At Thai Buddhist Temple
2,000 Fetuses Found At Thai Buddhist Temple: "BANGKOK — On the grounds of a Buddhist temple, dozens of white plastic bags lay in carefully arranged rows. Each sack was knotted at the top and contained the remains of a fetus. Thai authorities found about 2,000 remains in the temple's mortuary, where they had been hidden for a year – apparently to conceal illegal abortions.
A strong stench had drawn police to the temple in Bangkok's old city Tuesday, and authorities searching the mortuary – where bodies awaiting cremation are normally kept – initially found more than 300 fetuses. They returned Friday to find more than five times that number, according to police Lt. Col. Kanathud Musiganont.
Health officials, police and charity workers counted the fetuses, placing each one in a white plastic bag bearing the charity's name in red Thai script and Chinese characters. The group is often involved in the handling of remains, including recovering bodies from accident scenes and organizing burials."
This is what happens when abortions are illegal. The black market takes over.
A strong stench had drawn police to the temple in Bangkok's old city Tuesday, and authorities searching the mortuary – where bodies awaiting cremation are normally kept – initially found more than 300 fetuses. They returned Friday to find more than five times that number, according to police Lt. Col. Kanathud Musiganont.
Health officials, police and charity workers counted the fetuses, placing each one in a white plastic bag bearing the charity's name in red Thai script and Chinese characters. The group is often involved in the handling of remains, including recovering bodies from accident scenes and organizing burials."
This is what happens when abortions are illegal. The black market takes over.
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Kensington Avenue Strangler: Philadelphia's Prostitute Hell - The Daily Beast
The Kensington Avenue Strangler: Philadelphia's Prostitute Hell - The Daily Beast: "On a nightmarish street infested with heroin, rape, and violent crime, prostitutes keep showing up dead. Jeff Deeney visits the city's notorious neighborhood and finds hell on earth.
The rusting, blue steel frame of the El, the elevated portion of Philadelphia's subway, looms over dilapidated Kensington Avenue like a giant centipede's decaying exoskeleton. Known as 'the stroll,' Kensington Avenue is the hub of Philly's street prostitution scene, where young, drug-addicted women turn tricks for dope money—and where lately, a serial killer stalks them in the sickly orange glow of the streetlamps under the El.
Elaine Goldberg was only 21, a nursing student at a local university who seemed to have a lot going for her, except for a dope habit she couldn't kick. She was found half-naked and strangled to death in a vacant lot not far from the stroll on November 3. A Facebook page went up in the wake of the popular young woman's death. Her life was full of family and friends who were pulling for her to get clean; the memorial page has attracted more than 1,500 followers and a flood of support and condolences from well-wishers."
The rusting, blue steel frame of the El, the elevated portion of Philadelphia's subway, looms over dilapidated Kensington Avenue like a giant centipede's decaying exoskeleton. Known as 'the stroll,' Kensington Avenue is the hub of Philly's street prostitution scene, where young, drug-addicted women turn tricks for dope money—and where lately, a serial killer stalks them in the sickly orange glow of the streetlamps under the El.
Elaine Goldberg was only 21, a nursing student at a local university who seemed to have a lot going for her, except for a dope habit she couldn't kick. She was found half-naked and strangled to death in a vacant lot not far from the stroll on November 3. A Facebook page went up in the wake of the popular young woman's death. Her life was full of family and friends who were pulling for her to get clean; the memorial page has attracted more than 1,500 followers and a flood of support and condolences from well-wishers."
The Death of Mitrice Richardson: A Malibu Murder Mystery - The Daily Beast
The Death of Mitrice Richardson: A Malibu Murder Mystery - The Daily Beast: "Troubling questions surround the death of a 24-year-old beauty pageant contestant, whose body was found a year after her disappearance in a remote ravine. Christine Pelisek has exclusive new details.
When the body of the 24-year-old beauty pageant contestant was discovered in a rugged ravine in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was in such a rush to retrieve her remains, deputies left behind several body parts.
'We went back twice, and collected small toe bones, finger and vertebrae,' the Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter tells The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview, revealing for the first time how the investigation might have been compromised.
Furthermore, he says, the body was whisked out of the canyon by helicopter without the permission of the coroner's office—a charge denied by a spokesman for the sheriff's"
When the body of the 24-year-old beauty pageant contestant was discovered in a rugged ravine in the Santa Monica Mountains, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was in such a rush to retrieve her remains, deputies left behind several body parts.
'We went back twice, and collected small toe bones, finger and vertebrae,' the Los Angeles County Coroner Assistant Chief Ed Winter tells The Daily Beast in an exclusive interview, revealing for the first time how the investigation might have been compromised.
Furthermore, he says, the body was whisked out of the canyon by helicopter without the permission of the coroner's office—a charge denied by a spokesman for the sheriff's"
New Orleans Police Laughed After Burning Henry Glover's Body, Fellow Officer Testifies
New Orleans Police Laughed After Burning Henry Glover's Body, Fellow Officer Testifies: "NEW ORLEANS — A New Orleans police officer was laughing after he burned the body of a man who had been gunned down by police in Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, a fellow officer testified Thursday.
The testimony came during the trial of officer Greg McRae and Lt. Dwayne Scheuermann, who are charged with burning the body of 31-year-old Henry Glover in a car after he was shot and killed by a different officer outside a strip mall on Sept. 2, 2005. Three other current and former officers also are charged in Glover's death.
Lt. Joseph Meisch testified Thursday that he was standing outside a police station near the Mississippi River when he saw a car followed by a pickup truck driving on a levee. McRae was driving the car and Scheuermann was driving the truck, according to prosecutors.
Moments after the car drove off the levee, Meisch saw a plume of thick, black smoke.
Meisch didn't know who was driving the vehicles until McRae and Scheuermann ran toward him. Scheuermann had a blank look on his face, but McRae was laughing, Meisch said.
'Laughing like somebody had just played a joke?' Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Knight asked."
The testimony came during the trial of officer Greg McRae and Lt. Dwayne Scheuermann, who are charged with burning the body of 31-year-old Henry Glover in a car after he was shot and killed by a different officer outside a strip mall on Sept. 2, 2005. Three other current and former officers also are charged in Glover's death.
Lt. Joseph Meisch testified Thursday that he was standing outside a police station near the Mississippi River when he saw a car followed by a pickup truck driving on a levee. McRae was driving the car and Scheuermann was driving the truck, according to prosecutors.
Moments after the car drove off the levee, Meisch saw a plume of thick, black smoke.
Meisch didn't know who was driving the vehicles until McRae and Scheuermann ran toward him. Scheuermann had a blank look on his face, but McRae was laughing, Meisch said.
'Laughing like somebody had just played a joke?' Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey Knight asked."
Millionaires to Obama: Tax us - Yahoo! News
Millionaires to Obama: Tax us - Yahoo! News: "Anti-tax activists everywhere have been loudly arguing for an extension of George W. Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans in the United States. Now a group of millionaires is arguing the opposite.
More than 40 of the nation's millionaires have joined Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength to ask President Obama to discontinue the tax breaks established for them during the Bush administration, as Salon reports.
'For the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you allow tax cuts on incomes over $1,000,000 to expire at the end of this year as scheduled,' their website states. 'We make this request as loyal citizens who now or in the past earned an income of $1,000,000 per year or more.'
The group includes many big-time Democratic donors such as Gail Furman, trial lawyer Guy Saperstein and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (pictured). The list remains open to millionaires who want to sign on.
More than 40 of the nation's millionaires have joined Patriotic Millionaires for Fiscal Strength to ask President Obama to discontinue the tax breaks established for them during the Bush administration, as Salon reports.
'For the fiscal health of our nation and the well-being of our fellow citizens, we ask that you allow tax cuts on incomes over $1,000,000 to expire at the end of this year as scheduled,' their website states. 'We make this request as loyal citizens who now or in the past earned an income of $1,000,000 per year or more.'
The group includes many big-time Democratic donors such as Gail Furman, trial lawyer Guy Saperstein and Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's ice cream (pictured). The list remains open to millionaires who want to sign on.
50 Buzzwords You Shouldn't Use on Your Resume - Yahoo! Finance
50 Buzzwords You Shouldn't Use on Your Resume - Yahoo! Finance: "You've written your resume. You poured a lot of effort into the page that will represent you, and you can't wait to distribute it far and wide.
Not so fast. Before you send that puppy out, check it for buzzwords. Like 'team player.' Or 'detail-oriented.' Or 'accustomed to fast-paced environments.'
Here's why you should avoid them: They're vague. They make your resume look like everyone else's. They're probably not among the keywords employers search for. They take up space on your resume that could be used for strong, concrete, specific examples of what you've accomplished, the work you've produced, and how hiring you would benefit your potential employer. Buzzwords are tired and overused, cliches that have lost their meaning over time.
Most importantly, every buzzword is a lost opportunity.
You want your resume to stand out. The best way to sell yourself is to show, don't tell. Explain your accomplishments rather than spouting them off in trite ways.
So check your resume for these boilerplate words and phrases. If you find them, replace them--or at the very least, elaborate upon them--with real-life, specific examples."
Not so fast. Before you send that puppy out, check it for buzzwords. Like 'team player.' Or 'detail-oriented.' Or 'accustomed to fast-paced environments.'
Here's why you should avoid them: They're vague. They make your resume look like everyone else's. They're probably not among the keywords employers search for. They take up space on your resume that could be used for strong, concrete, specific examples of what you've accomplished, the work you've produced, and how hiring you would benefit your potential employer. Buzzwords are tired and overused, cliches that have lost their meaning over time.
Most importantly, every buzzword is a lost opportunity.
You want your resume to stand out. The best way to sell yourself is to show, don't tell. Explain your accomplishments rather than spouting them off in trite ways.
So check your resume for these boilerplate words and phrases. If you find them, replace them--or at the very least, elaborate upon them--with real-life, specific examples."
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Convicted Killer Sues Victim's Parents
“He’s in prison for driving recklessly, and killing a teenage boy on a bike in Connecticut. But tonight, in a most unusual development, the man who’s serving a ten year prison sentence, is suing the victim’s parents, blaming them for their son’s death
Gmail's Hidden Talents: 21 Tips, Tricks And Tools You Need To Know#s185538
Gmail's Hidden Talents: 21 Tips, Tricks And Tools You Need To Know#s185538: "Facebook recently launched the 'next generation' of messaging, which will give each Facebook user the option of obtaining her own @facebook.com email address.
Although Facebook's new-and-improved Messages service has unofficially been called a 'Gmail killer,' its launch doesn't mean 'traditional' email is dead. Far from it.
Gmail users have access to numerous helpful tools that can improve organization and efficiency, and Google is regularly adding more to its roster.
We've picked some of the top tips for optimizing your Gmail experience. Some may come as surprise, others you may already know and love, but all meant to save you time and lend a hand with your inbox (There are lots more Gmail extras for you to discover in Gmail Labs).
Know of other Gmail tricks you'd like to share with us? Let us know in the comments or add your tip to our list using the 'Add A Slide' button. To see how you can improve your Google searches, take a look through our slideshow of handy Google search tips."
Although Facebook's new-and-improved Messages service has unofficially been called a 'Gmail killer,' its launch doesn't mean 'traditional' email is dead. Far from it.
Gmail users have access to numerous helpful tools that can improve organization and efficiency, and Google is regularly adding more to its roster.
We've picked some of the top tips for optimizing your Gmail experience. Some may come as surprise, others you may already know and love, but all meant to save you time and lend a hand with your inbox (There are lots more Gmail extras for you to discover in Gmail Labs).
Know of other Gmail tricks you'd like to share with us? Let us know in the comments or add your tip to our list using the 'Add A Slide' button. To see how you can improve your Google searches, take a look through our slideshow of handy Google search tips."
College student body president admits he's an illegal immigrant - CNN.com
College student body president admits he's an illegal immigrant - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Pedro Ramirez is the student body president at Fresno State University in California. He is also an illegal immigrant.
Ramirez moved with his parents from Mexico when he was 3. He has little memory of living anywhere other than Tulare, California, located about 45 miles outside Fresno.
He said he assumed he was a U.S. citizen until his senior year in high school when his parents broke the news to him.
'I wanted to go to the military, but then I started asking questions and found out I wasn't a citizen. And then I found out I was undocumented,' Ramirez told CNN in a phone interview.
'I knew I was born in Mexico, but I was under the impression that we fixed our legal residency. So when I found out that wasn't the case, I was a little taken away. [My parents], they did it to protect me. They didn't do it as a harmful thing.'"
Ok I am here legally. What do I get?
Ramirez moved with his parents from Mexico when he was 3. He has little memory of living anywhere other than Tulare, California, located about 45 miles outside Fresno.
He said he assumed he was a U.S. citizen until his senior year in high school when his parents broke the news to him.
'I wanted to go to the military, but then I started asking questions and found out I wasn't a citizen. And then I found out I was undocumented,' Ramirez told CNN in a phone interview.
'I knew I was born in Mexico, but I was under the impression that we fixed our legal residency. So when I found out that wasn't the case, I was a little taken away. [My parents], they did it to protect me. They didn't do it as a harmful thing.'"
Ok I am here legally. What do I get?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Landmark terror trial ends in not-guilty verdict on all but one count - CNN.com
Landmark terror trial ends in not-guilty verdict on all but one count - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was acquitted Wednesday of all but one count of conspiracy-related charges, in a landmark civilian trial involving the first Guantanamo detainee to be tried in civilian court.
Ghailani was convicted by a federal jury on a charge of conspiracy to destroy buildings and U.S. property, in connection with his role in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
The trial had been widely considered a testing ground for the Obama administration, which has said that it could try some terrorism suspects outside military tribunals and in civilian courts.
The U.S. Justice Department responded to the verdict in a written statement, saying, 'We respect the jury's verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence for his role in the embassy bombings.'"
It can be done in the United States!
Ghailani was convicted by a federal jury on a charge of conspiracy to destroy buildings and U.S. property, in connection with his role in the 1998 U.S. Embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania.
The trial had been widely considered a testing ground for the Obama administration, which has said that it could try some terrorism suspects outside military tribunals and in civilian courts.
The U.S. Justice Department responded to the verdict in a written statement, saying, 'We respect the jury's verdict and are pleased that Ahmed Ghailani now faces a minimum of 20 years in prison and a potential life sentence for his role in the embassy bombings.'"
It can be done in the United States!
Touching 'Junk' for the Sake of Security? Legal Groping and Porn?
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Now is this porn? A voilation of the 4th amendment? What about molestors? How about keeping women safe?
Now is this porn? A voilation of the 4th amendment? What about molestors? How about keeping women safe?
Willow Palin Facebook Posts: Homophobic Slurs, Curse Words & More (PHOTOS)
Willow Palin Facebook Posts: Homophobic Slurs, Curse Words & More (PHOTOS): "Willow Palin, the 16-year-old daughter of former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, wrote multiple Facebook posts containing homophobic slurs such as 'faggot' on Sunday night, according to TMZ.
The web site reports that Palin's teenage daughter wrote the comments on Sunday night, when her mother's television show 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' premiered on TLC. According to TMZ, a classmate of one of Palin's children published a Facebook update claiming that the show 'is failing so hard right now.'
Willow Palin reportedly unloaded on the student, calling him 'so gay' and 'such a faggot.' She later demanded that the student 'quit talkin shit about my family.' According to screenshots obtained by TMZ, the 16-year-old called another commenter on the Facebook thread a 'low life loser' and lashed out at multiple others, writing, 'Sorry that all you guys are jealous of my families success and you guys aren't goin to go anywhere with your lives.'
For more information, check out TMZ's full report"
WoW Sarah Palin's Alaska
The web site reports that Palin's teenage daughter wrote the comments on Sunday night, when her mother's television show 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' premiered on TLC. According to TMZ, a classmate of one of Palin's children published a Facebook update claiming that the show 'is failing so hard right now.'
Willow Palin reportedly unloaded on the student, calling him 'so gay' and 'such a faggot.' She later demanded that the student 'quit talkin shit about my family.' According to screenshots obtained by TMZ, the 16-year-old called another commenter on the Facebook thread a 'low life loser' and lashed out at multiple others, writing, 'Sorry that all you guys are jealous of my families success and you guys aren't goin to go anywhere with your lives.'
For more information, check out TMZ's full report"
WoW Sarah Palin's Alaska
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Zahra Baker Dismembered, Court Documents Say - CBS News
Zahra Baker Dismembered, Court Documents Say - CBS News: "(AP) A disabled North Carolina girl was dismembered and her remains were put at different sites, according to court papers filed Monday by lawyers representing her stepmother.
The court documents ask for a reduction in bail for Elisa Baker, saying she helped investigators by leading them to the remains of 10-year-old Zahra Baker.
Elisa Baker has been jailed since last month, accused of trying to throw off investigators by writing a fake ransom note for another child.
The court papers were reported by Charlotte-area TV stations and posted on the website of WCNC-TV.
Elisa Baker told police on Oct. 24 that Zahra 'was deceased, that her body had been dismembered and that it would be recovered at different sites,' according to the documents. She was allowed to accompany police the following two days to sites around Hickory, in western North Carolina, showing them where Zahra's remains were."
Someone tell me what it takes to put someone in jail in NC?
The court documents ask for a reduction in bail for Elisa Baker, saying she helped investigators by leading them to the remains of 10-year-old Zahra Baker.
Elisa Baker has been jailed since last month, accused of trying to throw off investigators by writing a fake ransom note for another child.
The court papers were reported by Charlotte-area TV stations and posted on the website of WCNC-TV.
Elisa Baker told police on Oct. 24 that Zahra 'was deceased, that her body had been dismembered and that it would be recovered at different sites,' according to the documents. She was allowed to accompany police the following two days to sites around Hickory, in western North Carolina, showing them where Zahra's remains were."
Someone tell me what it takes to put someone in jail in NC?
Ex-Trooper Pleads Guilty in 1965 Ala. Slaying - CBS News
Ex-Trooper Pleads Guilty in 1965 Ala. Slaying - CBS News: "(CBS/AP) A former state trooper has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor manslaughter charge in the 1965 slaying of a black man in Alabama that triggered a key march of the civil rights era.
James Bonard Fowler, who is white, entered the plea Monday at Marion, two weeks before he was scheduled to go to trial on a murder charge for the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson.
Jackson, 26, was shot during a civil rights protest that turned into a club-swinging melee. His murder inspired a Selma march that became known as 'Bloody Sunday' when it was turned back by club-swinging troopers.
The march helped lead to passage of the Voting Rights Act.
The 77-year-old Fowler was sentenced to six months in jail in Geneva County, his home county."
James Bonard Fowler, who is white, entered the plea Monday at Marion, two weeks before he was scheduled to go to trial on a murder charge for the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson.
Jackson, 26, was shot during a civil rights protest that turned into a club-swinging melee. His murder inspired a Selma march that became known as 'Bloody Sunday' when it was turned back by club-swinging troopers.
The march helped lead to passage of the Voting Rights Act.
The 77-year-old Fowler was sentenced to six months in jail in Geneva County, his home county."
Man Who Found Head in Bucket: I Thought It Was a Joke | NBC Miami
Man Who Found Head in Bucket: I Thought It Was a Joke NBC Miami: "The man who found a human head in a bucket over the weekend said the bucket had been sitting on the bank of a canal for nearly three days before he finally decided to investigate.
William Hernandez, who works at a junk yard across the street from where the head was found in Dania Beach, said he thought the bloody bucket was filled fish guts because people often fished from the bank of the canal.
When he got closer, the man said he could see the face of the body-less head sticking out of the cement.
'At first I thought it was a joke,' Hernandez said. 'I thought someone was pulling a prank, but then I saw it was real.'"
William Hernandez, who works at a junk yard across the street from where the head was found in Dania Beach, said he thought the bloody bucket was filled fish guts because people often fished from the bank of the canal.
When he got closer, the man said he could see the face of the body-less head sticking out of the cement.
'At first I thought it was a joke,' Hernandez said. 'I thought someone was pulling a prank, but then I saw it was real.'"
One Hundred Naked Citizens: One Hundred Leaked Body Scans
One Hundred Naked Citizens: One Hundred Leaked Body Scans: "At the heart of the controversy over 'body scanners' is a promise: The images of our naked bodies will never be public. U.S. Marshals in a Florida Federal courthouse saved 35,000 images on their scanner. These are those images.
A Gizmodo investigation has revealed 100 of the photographs saved by the Gen 2 millimeter wave scanner from Brijot Imaging Systems, Inc., obtained by a FOIA request after it was recently revealed that U.S. Marshals operating the machine in the Orlando, Florida courthouse had improperly-perhaps illegally-saved images of the scans of public servants and private citizens.
We understand that it will be controversial to release these photographs. But identifying features have been eliminated. And fortunately for those who walked through the scanner in Florida last year, this mismanaged machine used the less embarrassing imaging technique.
Yet the leaking of these photographs demonstrates the security limitations of not just this particular machine, but millimeter wave and x-ray backscatter body scanners operated by federal employees in our courthouses and by TSA officers in airports across the country. That we can see these images today almost guarantees that others will be seeing similar images in the future. If you're lucky, it might even be a picture of you or your family."
Everyone knew this was going to happen! So much for privacy!
A Gizmodo investigation has revealed 100 of the photographs saved by the Gen 2 millimeter wave scanner from Brijot Imaging Systems, Inc., obtained by a FOIA request after it was recently revealed that U.S. Marshals operating the machine in the Orlando, Florida courthouse had improperly-perhaps illegally-saved images of the scans of public servants and private citizens.
We understand that it will be controversial to release these photographs. But identifying features have been eliminated. And fortunately for those who walked through the scanner in Florida last year, this mismanaged machine used the less embarrassing imaging technique.
Yet the leaking of these photographs demonstrates the security limitations of not just this particular machine, but millimeter wave and x-ray backscatter body scanners operated by federal employees in our courthouses and by TSA officers in airports across the country. That we can see these images today almost guarantees that others will be seeing similar images in the future. If you're lucky, it might even be a picture of you or your family."
Everyone knew this was going to happen! So much for privacy!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Cops: Woman Tried To Carve Beau's Tat | The Smoking Gun
Cops: Woman Tried To Carve Beau's Tat The Smoking Gun: "NOVEMBER 15--Following an argument with her boyfriend, a knife-wielding Nebraska woman allegedly attempted to cut off a tattoo of her name from the man’s neck, cops charge.
Tressa Amerson, 19, was jailed Friday night on a domestic assault charge following an altercation with Ronald Miner at his residence in Lincoln. Miner, 30, suffered “minor scratches” during the incident, according to a police report. Amerson is pictured in the mug shot at right.
A probable cause affidavit notes that Miner told officers that he and Amerson “had been having ongoing relationship problems for the past week.” The incident Friday, he added, was triggered when Amerson became upset because “she believed he ‘broke her car.’”"
Tressa Amerson, 19, was jailed Friday night on a domestic assault charge following an altercation with Ronald Miner at his residence in Lincoln. Miner, 30, suffered “minor scratches” during the incident, according to a police report. Amerson is pictured in the mug shot at right.
A probable cause affidavit notes that Miner told officers that he and Amerson “had been having ongoing relationship problems for the past week.” The incident Friday, he added, was triggered when Amerson became upset because “she believed he ‘broke her car.’”"
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Social Security judges facing more violent threats - Yahoo! News
Social Security judges facing more violent threats - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – Judges who hear Social Security disability cases are facing a growing number of violent threats from claimants angry over being denied benefits or frustrated at lengthy delays in processing claims.
There were at least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or staff over the past year — an 18 percent increase over the previous reporting period, according to data collected by the agency.
The data was released to the Association of Administrative Law Judges and made available to The Associated Press.
One claimant in Albuquerque, N.M., called his congressman's office to say he was going to 'take his guns and shoot employees' in the Social Security hearing office. In Eugene, Ore., a man who was denied benefits said he is 'ready to join the Taliban and hurt some people.' Another claimant denied benefits told a judge in Greenville, S.C., that he was a sniper in the military and 'would go take care of the problem.'"
There were at least 80 threats to kill or harm administrative law judges or staff over the past year — an 18 percent increase over the previous reporting period, according to data collected by the agency.
The data was released to the Association of Administrative Law Judges and made available to The Associated Press.
One claimant in Albuquerque, N.M., called his congressman's office to say he was going to 'take his guns and shoot employees' in the Social Security hearing office. In Eugene, Ore., a man who was denied benefits said he is 'ready to join the Taliban and hurt some people.' Another claimant denied benefits told a judge in Greenville, S.C., that he was a sniper in the military and 'would go take care of the problem.'"
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Blood found in home of missing mom, kids - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com
Blood found in home of missing mom, kids - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com: "HOWARD, Ohio — An unusual amount of blood found in a missing woman's home is evidence of an injury apparently related to her disappearance with her two children and a female friend, a sheriff in Ohio said Saturday.
Knox County Sheriff David Barber did not say who investigators believe was injured inside the home of 32-year-old Tina Herrmann in Howard, about 60 miles north of Columbus, and he would not elaborate.
'The one thing I can say about it is that it's an unusual amount,' Barber said of the blood. 'It isn't from someone stubbing their toe or cutting their finger, you know, or peeling an apple or something like that"
Knox County Sheriff David Barber did not say who investigators believe was injured inside the home of 32-year-old Tina Herrmann in Howard, about 60 miles north of Columbus, and he would not elaborate.
'The one thing I can say about it is that it's an unusual amount,' Barber said of the blood. 'It isn't from someone stubbing their toe or cutting their finger, you know, or peeling an apple or something like that"
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 9/11 Mastermind, Unlikely to Have Trial, Post Says - Bloomberg
Hold the trial already will yah!! This is not one of the Xmen or some super villian! Cheese and Crackers!
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 9/11 Mastermind, Unlikely to Have Trial, Post Says - Bloomberg: "The accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, may remain behind bars without trial indefinitely because of disagreement over his trial location, according to the Washington Post.
The Obama administration has concluded it can’t go ahead with its original plan to have the trial in federal court in New York because of opposition from lawmakers and local officials, the Post said. There is little support for reviving an effort to hold a military trial at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Post.
Obama administration officials said Mohammed and four alleged co-conspirators can be held under laws of war, until a trial location is agreed on, the newspaper reported.
The Post report came after Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters on Nov. 10 the Obama administration was close to selecting a trial location. Holder said the administration didn’t make a decision on whether the accused should be tried in a civilian court or before a military commission."
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, 9/11 Mastermind, Unlikely to Have Trial, Post Says - Bloomberg: "The accused mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, may remain behind bars without trial indefinitely because of disagreement over his trial location, according to the Washington Post.
The Obama administration has concluded it can’t go ahead with its original plan to have the trial in federal court in New York because of opposition from lawmakers and local officials, the Post said. There is little support for reviving an effort to hold a military trial at Guantanamo Bay, according to the Post.
Obama administration officials said Mohammed and four alleged co-conspirators can be held under laws of war, until a trial location is agreed on, the newspaper reported.
The Post report came after Attorney General Eric Holder told reporters on Nov. 10 the Obama administration was close to selecting a trial location. Holder said the administration didn’t make a decision on whether the accused should be tried in a civilian court or before a military commission."
Mystery deepens over N.C. girl's killing - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com
When they find the people who did this, the death penalty appropriate.
Mystery deepens over N.C. girl's killing - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com: "HICKORY, N.C. — Police were confident a freckle-faced disabled 10-year-old girl was killed, but the mystery of how she died deepened when police said a set of remains was uncovered five miles away from where one of her bones was found.
The bone, discovered in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area near where the family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is currently in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note. Her father, Adam Baker, has been arrested on charges unrelated to Zahra's disappearance and is free on bail."
Mystery deepens over N.C. girl's killing - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com: "HICKORY, N.C. — Police were confident a freckle-faced disabled 10-year-old girl was killed, but the mystery of how she died deepened when police said a set of remains was uncovered five miles away from where one of her bones was found.
The bone, discovered in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area near where the family lived until mid-September. Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, is currently in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note. Her father, Adam Baker, has been arrested on charges unrelated to Zahra's disappearance and is free on bail."
Friday, November 12, 2010
Cops think they've found N.C. girl's remains - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com
This was not the news I wanted to hear Friday. But if anyone deserves the death penalty then whoever did this qualifies.
Cops think they've found N.C. girl's remains - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com: "HICKORY, N.C. — The mystery of how a disabled 10-year-old girl was killed deepened Friday when police matched a bone to the girl and said they believed a set of remains uncovered five miles away were also hers.
The bone, found in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area near where Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, once lived. She is currently in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note.
Recently, she began cooperating with police and led them to the area where the remains were found, though she has not been charged in Zahra's death."
Cops think they've found N.C. girl's remains - U.S. news - Crime & courts - msnbc.com: "HICKORY, N.C. — The mystery of how a disabled 10-year-old girl was killed deepened Friday when police matched a bone to the girl and said they believed a set of remains uncovered five miles away were also hers.
The bone, found in some brush alongside Zahra Baker's prosthetic leg, was discovered in an area near where Zahra's stepmother, Elisa Baker, once lived. She is currently in jail, charged with trying to throw off investigators with a bogus ransom note.
Recently, she began cooperating with police and led them to the area where the remains were found, though she has not been charged in Zahra's death."
Thursday, November 11, 2010
The Canadian Press: Ever controversial, Randy Moss is loved by teammates and cursed by coaches
The Canadian Press: Ever controversial, Randy Moss is loved by teammates and cursed by coaches: "Ever controversial, Randy Moss is loved by teammates and cursed by coaches
By Jon Krawczynski (CP) – 28 minutes ago
MINNEAPOLIS — There is Randy Moss the playmaker and Randy Moss the play skipper.
Randy Moss the gracious and Randy Moss the petty.
Randy Moss the player's player and Randy Moss the coach's scourge.
The many faces of Randy Moss include the fiery leader whose stirring halftime speeches have spurred his teams to victory, and the pouting malcontent who has bailed on his teammates before a game was even over.
They also include the generous spirit who brings needy children to amusement parks and makes their faces light up with a game ball, and the childish bully who berated a caterer for serving a spread 'I wouldn't feed to my (expletive) dog.'
Moss may well be the greatest receiver of his generation and yet he's always been one of the most polarizing players around — an uncompromising, inscrutable individual in a game that depends on fitting into a team's system. It's the basic reason he is playing for his third club in just over a month, and the Tennessee Titans were the only one of the league's 32 franchises to put in a claim for him when he hit the waiver wire last week."
By Jon Krawczynski (CP) – 28 minutes ago
MINNEAPOLIS — There is Randy Moss the playmaker and Randy Moss the play skipper.
Randy Moss the gracious and Randy Moss the petty.
Randy Moss the player's player and Randy Moss the coach's scourge.
The many faces of Randy Moss include the fiery leader whose stirring halftime speeches have spurred his teams to victory, and the pouting malcontent who has bailed on his teammates before a game was even over.
They also include the generous spirit who brings needy children to amusement parks and makes their faces light up with a game ball, and the childish bully who berated a caterer for serving a spread 'I wouldn't feed to my (expletive) dog.'
Moss may well be the greatest receiver of his generation and yet he's always been one of the most polarizing players around — an uncompromising, inscrutable individual in a game that depends on fitting into a team's system. It's the basic reason he is playing for his third club in just over a month, and the Tennessee Titans were the only one of the league's 32 franchises to put in a claim for him when he hit the waiver wire last week."
Washington state bans alcoholic energy drinks - Yahoo! News
Washington state bans alcoholic energy drinks - Yahoo! News: "OLYMPIA, Wash. – Retailers have a week to clear millions of dollars worth of alcoholic energy drinks from their shelves after state regulators banned them Wednesday, citing the hospitalization of nine dangerously drunk college students last month.
The emergency ban, similar to those in Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma, takes effect Nov. 18. Washington's rule targets beer-based drinks that also feature caffeine, such as the malt-liquor energy drink Four Loko.
Some universities also have banned boozy energy drinks from campus while the federal Food and Drug Administration reviews their safety, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Wednesday for a ban in his state.
Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who requested Washington's ban, said a strong caffeine-and-alcohol combination could encourage drinking too much by masking alcohol's regular depressant effects. She also said alcohol-based energy drinks — sometimes fruit-flavored, often sold in brightly colored cans — are too appealing to young drinkers.
'It's no different than the kind of appeal that Joe Camel had to our kids when it came to cigarettes,' she said Wednesday.
Alcoholic energy drinks drew national attention after an October party in Roslyn, a picturesque mountain town known as the place where part of the 1990s television series 'Northern Exposure' was filmed."
The emergency ban, similar to those in Michigan, Utah and Oklahoma, takes effect Nov. 18. Washington's rule targets beer-based drinks that also feature caffeine, such as the malt-liquor energy drink Four Loko.
Some universities also have banned boozy energy drinks from campus while the federal Food and Drug Administration reviews their safety, and U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., called Wednesday for a ban in his state.
Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire, who requested Washington's ban, said a strong caffeine-and-alcohol combination could encourage drinking too much by masking alcohol's regular depressant effects. She also said alcohol-based energy drinks — sometimes fruit-flavored, often sold in brightly colored cans — are too appealing to young drinkers.
'It's no different than the kind of appeal that Joe Camel had to our kids when it came to cigarettes,' she said Wednesday.
Alcoholic energy drinks drew national attention after an October party in Roslyn, a picturesque mountain town known as the place where part of the 1990s television series 'Northern Exposure' was filmed."
Obama hails "this great country" -- Indonesia - NYPOST.com
Obama hails "this great country" -- Indonesia - NYPOST.com: "WASHINGTON -- Today is Veter ans Day. Do you know where your president is?
With his feeble flame of 'hope' thoroughly doused here in the United States by last week's elections, President Obama has set out around the globe in search of throngs still enthralled by his flowery rhetoric.
He found them, of course, in Indonesia this week by telling them about how Americans must stop mistrusting Islam.
So that is why your president is halfway around the world instead of being here in the United States to celebrate the sacrifices American soldiers, sailors and airmen have made around the world to keep the real, still-burning flame of freedom alive."
With his feeble flame of 'hope' thoroughly doused here in the United States by last week's elections, President Obama has set out around the globe in search of throngs still enthralled by his flowery rhetoric.
He found them, of course, in Indonesia this week by telling them about how Americans must stop mistrusting Islam.
So that is why your president is halfway around the world instead of being here in the United States to celebrate the sacrifices American soldiers, sailors and airmen have made around the world to keep the real, still-burning flame of freedom alive."
Backlash grows over TSA's 'naked strip searches' | Privacy Inc. - CNET News
Backlash grows over TSA's 'naked strip searches' Privacy Inc. - CNET News: "Two months ago, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that the federal stimulus legislation would pay for the purchase of hundreds of controversial full-body scanners.
'Through the Recovery Act, we are able to continue our accelerated deployment of enhanced technology as part of our layered approach to security at airports nationwide,' Napolitano said at the time.
The number of scanners has roughly doubled since Napolitano's announcement and they are now found in 68 U.S. airports, and the Transportation Security Administration says the controversial devices have proven to be a success.
'We have received minimal complaints,' a TSA spokeswoman told CNET yesterday. She said that the agency, part of DHS, keeps track of air traveler complaints and has not seen a significant rise.
A growing number of airline passengers, labor unions, and advocacy groups, however, say the new procedures--a choice of full-body scans or what the TSA delicately calls 'enhanced pat-downs'--go too far. (They were implemented without much fanfare in late October, amid lingering questions (PDF) about whether travelers are always offered a choice of manual screening.)"
'Through the Recovery Act, we are able to continue our accelerated deployment of enhanced technology as part of our layered approach to security at airports nationwide,' Napolitano said at the time.
The number of scanners has roughly doubled since Napolitano's announcement and they are now found in 68 U.S. airports, and the Transportation Security Administration says the controversial devices have proven to be a success.
'We have received minimal complaints,' a TSA spokeswoman told CNET yesterday. She said that the agency, part of DHS, keeps track of air traveler complaints and has not seen a significant rise.
A growing number of airline passengers, labor unions, and advocacy groups, however, say the new procedures--a choice of full-body scans or what the TSA delicately calls 'enhanced pat-downs'--go too far. (They were implemented without much fanfare in late October, amid lingering questions (PDF) about whether travelers are always offered a choice of manual screening.)"
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Joyce Kaufman, Allen West's Chief Of Staff, Advocated Hanging Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes
This whole thing will heat up!
Joyce Kaufman, Allen West's Chief Of Staff, Advocated Hanging Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes: "Representative-elect Allen West (R-Fla.) decided this week to follow up a controversial and highly successful congressional campaign with a staff announcement in the same vein.
Conservative radio show host Joyce Kaufman will serve as chief of staff to West, a Tea Party-backed political insurgent from Florida's southern coast.
Kaufman is a local staple on Sunshine State airwaves, talking politics from 12pm-3pm on WFTL as part of a lineup that includes heavyweights such as Lou Dobbs and Michael Savage. According to the WFTL website, she'll be retaining a correspondent position while she carries out her Capitol Hill duties for the West camp, a setup that a House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct believes could be 'potentially problematic,' according to ThinkProgress."
Joyce Kaufman, Allen West's Chief Of Staff, Advocated Hanging Illegal Immigrants Who Commit Crimes: "Representative-elect Allen West (R-Fla.) decided this week to follow up a controversial and highly successful congressional campaign with a staff announcement in the same vein.
Conservative radio show host Joyce Kaufman will serve as chief of staff to West, a Tea Party-backed political insurgent from Florida's southern coast.
Kaufman is a local staple on Sunshine State airwaves, talking politics from 12pm-3pm on WFTL as part of a lineup that includes heavyweights such as Lou Dobbs and Michael Savage. According to the WFTL website, she'll be retaining a correspondent position while she carries out her Capitol Hill duties for the West camp, a setup that a House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct believes could be 'potentially problematic,' according to ThinkProgress."
Marines sold military assault weapons to L.A. gang
Four U.S. Marines have been arrested for allegedly selling rifles and assault weapons to gang members in Los Angeles.
Federal and state authorities told The Times that the investigation has been going on for several weeks and that it involves allegations that the Marines sold guns to gang members operating in the San Fernando Valley.
The suspects face state weapons charges, the sources said.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, said officials plan to release more details about the case soon.
The arrests come several days after federal officials served search warrants at a home in San Clemente. At the time, officials declined to say what the probe was about. The San Clemente Times took photos showing boxes full of weapons apparently seized from the house, including large military-style weapons.
It's unclear how many weapons were involved or where the Marines were stationed. Officials did not immediately identify which gang purchased the weapons or how many gangs may have been involved.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service; and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, as well as officials from the Marine Corps.
The arrests were made Monday. More arrests are possible, the sources said.
Federal and state authorities told The Times that the investigation has been going on for several weeks and that it involves allegations that the Marines sold guns to gang members operating in the San Fernando Valley.
The suspects face state weapons charges, the sources said.
The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is ongoing, said officials plan to release more details about the case soon.
The arrests come several days after federal officials served search warrants at a home in San Clemente. At the time, officials declined to say what the probe was about. The San Clemente Times took photos showing boxes full of weapons apparently seized from the house, including large military-style weapons.
It's unclear how many weapons were involved or where the Marines were stationed. Officials did not immediately identify which gang purchased the weapons or how many gangs may have been involved.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Los Angeles Police Department; the Naval Criminal Intelligence Service; and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, as well as officials from the Marine Corps.
The arrests were made Monday. More arrests are possible, the sources said.
Airport screeners get more aggressive with pat-downs - USATODAY.com
I have issues with this. Let he amongst you with no issues go first.
Airport screeners get more aggressive with pat-downs - USATODAY.com: "The new searches are done with screeners' hands sliding over a passenger's body. However, the searches require screeners to touch passengers' breasts and genitals. And that's prompting some fliers and the American Civil Liberties Union to question the policy's intrusiveness and effectiveness.
Frequent business traveler Richard Boyd of Beverly Hills says the pat downs 'serve no real purpose.'
'It's another TSA delusion of enhancing security,' Boyd says. 'It will accomplish nothing other than adding to a traveler's frustration and time required to clear security. It should be abandoned before implemented.'
Pat-down searches are used when a passenger sets off a metal detector, chooses not to go through a 'full-body' scanning machine or the machine detects something suspicious.
'Invasive' techniques
Frequent flier Leslie Ashor says she advocates 'anything that keeps us safe,' but she's concerned about a search she underwent Thursday at Denver's airport.
'I stood there thinking that this is somewhat humiliating, even though I didn't know all the people around me,' says Ashor, an architect from San Diego. 'As a woman, it is somewhat unnerving to have someone touching you in these areas in full public view.'
The TSA has private screening areas, but Ashor says she doesn't opt to use them to save time.
An effective pat down 'has to be invasive' and touch both breasts and genitals, says Billie Vincent, a former security director for the Federal Aviation Administration. 'It is clearly a technique that most people would consider an invasion of their privacy.'"
Airport screeners get more aggressive with pat-downs - USATODAY.com: "The new searches are done with screeners' hands sliding over a passenger's body. However, the searches require screeners to touch passengers' breasts and genitals. And that's prompting some fliers and the American Civil Liberties Union to question the policy's intrusiveness and effectiveness.
Frequent business traveler Richard Boyd of Beverly Hills says the pat downs 'serve no real purpose.'
'It's another TSA delusion of enhancing security,' Boyd says. 'It will accomplish nothing other than adding to a traveler's frustration and time required to clear security. It should be abandoned before implemented.'
Pat-down searches are used when a passenger sets off a metal detector, chooses not to go through a 'full-body' scanning machine or the machine detects something suspicious.
'Invasive' techniques
Frequent flier Leslie Ashor says she advocates 'anything that keeps us safe,' but she's concerned about a search she underwent Thursday at Denver's airport.
'I stood there thinking that this is somewhat humiliating, even though I didn't know all the people around me,' says Ashor, an architect from San Diego. 'As a woman, it is somewhat unnerving to have someone touching you in these areas in full public view.'
The TSA has private screening areas, but Ashor says she doesn't opt to use them to save time.
An effective pat down 'has to be invasive' and touch both breasts and genitals, says Billie Vincent, a former security director for the Federal Aviation Administration. 'It is clearly a technique that most people would consider an invasion of their privacy.'"
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Interview With German Finance Minister Schäuble: 'The US Has Lived on Borrowed Money for Too Long' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International
Interview With German Finance Minister Schäuble: 'The US Has Lived on Borrowed Money for Too Long' - SPIEGEL ONLINE - News - International: "In an interview with SPIEGEL, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble, 68, criticizes US calls for Germany to reduce exports, outlines his plans for an insolvency framework for indebted European nations and the emphasizes the significance of the German-French axis for Europe.
SPIEGEL: Minister Schäuble, how well do you get along with your American counterpart, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner?
Schäuble: Mr. Geithner is an excellent minister. We have a good personal relationship.
SPIEGEL: Nevertheless, he constantly criticizes government officials in countries that are achieving high export surpluses and not doing enough to stimulate their domestic economies. He's referring to you, isn't he?
Schäuble: It would appear that way. That's why I tell him again and again that I think his point of view is incorrect in this regard.
SPIEGEL: All the same, the value of goods Germany sold to the United States exceeded imports from that country by almost €14 billion ($19.8 billion) last year. Can't you understand that the American treasury secretary is concerned about this?
Schäuble: No, because since we introduced the euro in Europe, the determining factor is no longer US trade with Germany, but US trade with the totality of countries in the euro zone. And in that respect the balance of trade tends to be even. So what's the problem? After all, we don't complain about the export successes of individual American states."
This guy does make some points.
SPIEGEL: Minister Schäuble, how well do you get along with your American counterpart, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner?
Schäuble: Mr. Geithner is an excellent minister. We have a good personal relationship.
SPIEGEL: Nevertheless, he constantly criticizes government officials in countries that are achieving high export surpluses and not doing enough to stimulate their domestic economies. He's referring to you, isn't he?
Schäuble: It would appear that way. That's why I tell him again and again that I think his point of view is incorrect in this regard.
SPIEGEL: All the same, the value of goods Germany sold to the United States exceeded imports from that country by almost €14 billion ($19.8 billion) last year. Can't you understand that the American treasury secretary is concerned about this?
Schäuble: No, because since we introduced the euro in Europe, the determining factor is no longer US trade with Germany, but US trade with the totality of countries in the euro zone. And in that respect the balance of trade tends to be even. So what's the problem? After all, we don't complain about the export successes of individual American states."
This guy does make some points.
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