Monday, January 11, 2010

Army Imprisons Iraq Vet for Hip Hop Song

http://www.allgov.com/ViewNews/
Specialist Marc Hall, aka hip hop artist Marc Watercus, was looking forward to the end of his U.S. Army service in February and never going back to Iraq, when commanders decided to “stop-loss” him—the policy that allows military officials to keep soldiers longer than their service contracts state. Frustrated by the Army’s decision, Hall recorded—and mailed to his superiors—a song protesting the stop-loss policy, which has forced thousands of troops to serve extra time in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army threw Hall in jail on December 11, 2009, in Liberty County Jail, Georgia. He is charged under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which covers “all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline” and “all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces.”
Army officials considered the song a warning sign and threat.

Domestic Drones to Spy on Americans



The Houston Police Department responded with the following statement, “Potential public safety applications include mobility, evacuations, homeland security, search and rescue, as well as tactical.”

Friday, January 8, 2010

Mind-reading systems could change air security



http://apnews.myway.com/article/20100108/D9D3HB101.html
CHICAGO (AP) - A would-be terrorist tries to board a plane, bent on mass murder. As he walks through a security checkpoint, fidgeting and glancing around, a network of high-tech machines analyzes his body language and reads his mind.
Screeners pull him aside.
Tragedy is averted.
Some of the more unusual ideas are already being tested. Some aren't being given any serious consideration. Many raise troubling questions about civil liberties. Ya think?

Dutch police develop mobile body scans

http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2010/
Rotterdam police are trying to develop a portable scanner which will allow them to see through people's clothing and look for concealed weapons, the NRC reports on Friday.
The force has been given a €500,000 government grant to develop the mobile weapons detector, which would use similar technology to the scanners being introduced at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, the paper says.
The aim is to develop a prototype ready for production within three years.

See also: BBC: Could X-ray scanners work on the street? 

Government Wants Retirees to Convert 401 (k) Into Annuities

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-01-08/
Jan. 8 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. investors oppose federal initiatives that would force them to give up control over their 401(k) accounts, the Investment Company Institute said.
Seven in 10 U.S. households object to the idea of the government requiring retirees to convert part of their savings into annuities guaranteeing a steady payment for life, according to an institute-funded report today.

Obama orders $1B spent on airport body scanners: 'We are at war,' President says in revising data, visa policies


http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100108/NEWS14/1080364
WASHINGTON - President Obama yesterday ordered intelligence agencies to streamline how terrorism threats are pursued and analyzed, saying the government has to respond aggressively to the failures that allowed a Nigerian man to ignite an explosive on a jetliner on Christmas Day.
Mr. Obama directed the Homeland Security Department to acquire $1 billion in advanced-technology equipment, including body scanners, for screening passengers at airports.

Shut up and get scanned, already


http://www.thestar.com/travel/article/746984--shut-up-and-get-scanned-already
By Jim Byers
Okay, an attractive person might be another story. But any airport worker can wander over to the nearest newsstand at Pearson and pick up hard-core pornographic magazines for the cost of a couple fancy coffees.
So instead they're going to spend precious time poring over a strange outline that looks like the Atlanta Olympic mascot? Come on. Don't take yourself so seriously, folks.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Security officials ignore Flight 253 witness


http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/officials+ignore+Flight+witness/2414002/story.html
'I don't even get a call to check up,' Dollard resident Shama Chopra says.
MONTREAL – It has been almost two weeks since Shama Chopra witnessed the failed attempt to blow up a plane en route to Detroit.
On Christmas Day, she handed water bottles to passengers who had jumped the would-be bomber, on fire after trying to detonate an explosive device. Chopra, 54, was sitting four rows from the Nigerian suspect and feels that she has a story to tell.
But so far, no security official from Canada or the U.S. has called to speak to the Dollard des Ormeaux resident about her harrowing experience, and she doesn't understand why.
"If I had died, I'm sure there would have been many statements (from Canadian officials)," said Chopra, who volunteers at the Hindu Mandir Temple in Dollard. "Now I survived, and I don't even get a call to check (how I'm doing)."

Corporate Media Says Body Scanners Increase Privacy


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/that-naked-image-at-airport-security-actually-enhances-your-privacy/article1421473/
"Let me be controversial by saying the millimetre-wave scanner actually enhances privacy."

7 million lost jobs: Gone forever?


http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/07/news/economy/jobs_outlook/index.htm
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A two-year string of job losses appears to be near an end, if it hasn't ended already.
But most economists don't expect the employment picture to significantly improve anytime this year -- or over the next few years for that matter.
The unemployment rate, which stood at 10% in November, is expected to stay uncomfortably high for the foreseeable future. Some experts even suggest that the labor market won't be able to fully recover from the 7.2 million jobs lost since the start of 2008 before another recession and round of job losses.

BBC: Should we bring back rationing?


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8445824.stm
It's 70 years since WWII rationing was brought in and many pass comment on the contrast between the current obesity epidemic and those healthier days of dearth. But how did people handle rationing and could we use the lessons to fight obesity now?

Another Melamine-Tainted Milk Scandal in China


http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_china/2010-01-04/148242373937.html
A new milk safety scandal has broken out in China.

Authorities in Shanghai have closed a dairy company and arrested three executives, after milk products were found to contain high levels of the toxic industrial chemical melamine.

According to the state-run Shanghai Daily, melamine was found in milk powder and condensed milk made by the Shanghai Panda Dairy Co. Ltd.

Melamine is a toxic chemical used for making plastic. When added to food it can make the protein content appear higher, but it’s highly detrimental to human health.

Britain must launch GM food revolution, says chief scientist


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/jan/06/gm-food-revolution-government-scientist
UK scientists need to urgently develop 'a new and greener revolution' to increase food production, says the government.
Britain must embrace genetically modified crops and cutting-edge developments such as nanotechnology to avoid catastrophic food shortages and future climate change, the government's chief scientist will warn today.

GMO FOODS?

Cell Phone Radiation Is Actually Not Bad For Us Now, It Prevents Brain Disorders


http://preventdisease.com/news/
Yet another ridiculous study out of the University of South Florida claims that cell phone radiation actually protects against brain disorders rather than cause them.
It's another version of researchers promoting junk science at its best. The ludicrous study only done in mice, suggests that long-term exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) associated with cell phones may actually protect against, and even reverse, Alzheimer's disease.

Student arrested over "Nobama" sticker gets settlement


http://www.denverpost.com/commented/
The Denver Post
January 7, 2010
A Dakota Ridge High School student who wore a "Nobama" sticker taped across the front of his shirt prior to an appearance by Michelle Obama will receive $4,000 from Jefferson County authorities, the ACLU of Colorado announced today.
The $4,000 settlement agreement with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and the Jefferson County School District avoided a potential lawsuit, according to a news release from Taylor Pendergrass, ACLU staff attorney.

Geithner’s New York Fed Told AIG to Withhold Details on Bailout


http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aXIvW4igKV38
Jan. 7 (Bloomberg) -- The Federal Reserve Bank of New York, then led by Timothy Geithner, told American International Group Inc. to withhold details from the public about the bailed-out insurer’s payments to banks during the depths of the financial crisis, e-mails between the company and its regulator show.

TSA Agent: "I am god, I’m in charge."


http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local-beat/TSA-Security-Agent-Arrested-at-LAX-80858482.html
They are the first line of defense in airport security but two troubling incidents involving TSA agents at LAX are raising concerns.
A TSA agent was arrested on January 3rd in Terminal One at LAX, a source told NBCLA. He had just gotten off duty and was behaving erratically, saying, "I am god, I’m in charge." 

Calls for 'speed-limiting' cars


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7803997.stm
Speed-limiting devices should be fitted to cars on a voluntary basis to help save lives and cut carbon emissions, according to a new report.
The government's transport advisers claim the technology would cut road accidents with injuries by 29%.
The device automatically slows a car down to within the limit for the road on which it is being driven.
But campaign group Safe Speed warns against its use, saying it encourages drivers to enter a "zombie mode".
Ministers are planning to help councils draw up digital maps with details of the legal speed on every road.

Switzerland millionaire hit by record speed fine


A Swiss millionaire has been handed down a record speeding fine of $290,000 (£180,000) by a court.
The man was reportedly caught driving a red Ferrari Testarossa at 137km/h (85mph) through a village.
The penalty was calculated based on the unnamed motorist's wealth - assessed by the court as $22.7m (£14.1m) - and because he was a repeat offender.

NCTC director Michael Leiter remained on ski slopes after Christmas Day airline bombing attempt


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics
WASHINGTON - The top official in charge of analyzing terror threats did not cut short his ski vacation after the underwear bomber nearly blew up an airliner on Christmas Day, the Daily News has learned.

Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center since 2007, decided not to return to his agency's "bat cave" nerve center in McLean, Va., until several days after Christmas, two U.S. officials said.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

France 'to criminalise shouting at your wife'


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/6938961/France-to-criminalise-shouting-at-your-wife.html
Married couples could be arrested and charged for insulting each other under a new law in France banning 'psychological violence'.
The proposed legislation would punish partners who 'overstep the mark' during verbal spats in the home.
The law would apply to husbands and wives, as well as cohabiting couples.

Journal Says No Proof Special Diets Help Autistic Children

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2010/01/journal-says-no-proof-special-diets-help-autistic-children.html
New research was released today about children with autism, and it’s sparking a fresh round of intense debate.  The report from a panel of experts finds no scientific proof that digestive problems are more common in children with autism and no evidence that special diets work.  The research, published in the journal Pediatrics, has been met with controversy -- many parents say that restrictive diets have helped their children by combating symptoms and behavior problems of autistic children.

Actress and activist Jenny McCarthy’s son was diagnosed with autism, and tonight she tells ABC News that she and many others have seen positive effects from wheat and dairy-free diets.

“We’re the ones seeing the real result,” she said.  “And until doctors start listening to our anecdotal evidence, which is this is working, it’s going to take so many more years for these kids to get better.  Every parent will tell you something different that helped their child, but all we know is that from this community we do see positive changes from this diet.”

The Big Chill: Winter of 2009-2010 Could Be Worst in 25 Years

http://www.accuweather.com/news-weather-features.asp?#extremes
Nearly the entire eastern half of the United States is enduring bitterly cold temperatures not experienced since 1985. Even Florida, which has been hovering around freezing levels overnight recently, is also feeling the almost-nationwide chill.

"It'll be like the great winters of the '60s and '70s," said AccuWeather.com Chief Meteorologist and Expert Long Range Forecaster Joe Bastardi.

CIA Teams Up With Climate Scientists to Monitor Climate Change


http://www.inhabitat.com/2010/01/05/cia-teams-up-with-climate-scientists-to-monitor-climate-change/
A government espionage organization joins up with climate researchers in a race to figure out what’s happening to our fragile planet. No, it isn’t the plot of a new action flick — it’s part of a new data-sharing initiative between the CIA and top scientists.

The C-SPAN Lie: Count the lies: Obama vowed eight times to televise healthcare talks

http://www.breitbart.tv/the-c-span-lie-did-obama-really-promise-televised-healthcare-negotiations/

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Ex-soldier jailed for rap song about stop-loss policy

Hot Weather Convinces Media of Climate Change; Cold Weather Ignored


http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2010/20100104141202.aspx
Business & Media Institute 
The news media constantly misuse extreme weather examples to generate fear of global warming, but when record cold or record snow sets in journalists don’t mention the possibility of global cooling trends. While climatologists would say weather isn’t necessarily an indication of climate, it has been in the media, but only when the weather could be spun as part of global warming.

In Iowa, temperatures are 30 degrees below normal according to the Des Moines Register. That’s a near-record low. Beijing is facing the coldest temperatures in decades according to Australia’s The Age.

Obama’s White House Press Corps warned about asking certain questions


http://onlinejournal.com/artman/publish/article_5430.shtml
WMR has learned from a veteran member of the White House Press Corps that the Obama administration has made it known through White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and other White House Communications officials that certain questions posed by the reporters who cover the White House are definitely off-limits.

On the banned list are any questions about Obama’s post-Columbia University employment with Business International Corporation (BIC), a global financial and political information company that WMR previously reported was a front for the CIA.

White House Press Corps members have been quietly told that any questions related to BIC, Obama’s withheld records while he was a student at Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1979 to 1981, or his records at Columbia, are forbidden. At the same time he was attending Occidental, Obama, using the name Barry Soetoro and an Indonesian passport issued under the same name, traveled to Pakistan during the U.S. buildup to assist the Afghan mujaheddin.

Parents arrested for failing to register home-schooled kids


A Montgomery County couple has been arrested on child endangerment charges for failing to register their children with the school district as they were home-schooled, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said Monday.

Richard Cressy, 47, and Margie Cressy, 41, both of the town of Glen, never registered their four children or their home-schooling curriculum with the local school district, said the Sheriff's Office.

Europe's looming demise


http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/dec/30/europes-looming-demise/?feat=home_top5_read
Why should Americans care about this? Americans have to care because this global gobbledygook is coming to our shores, thanks to our globalist president.

"The Europe as you know it from visiting, from your parents or friends is on the verge of collapsing," Geert Wilders said in a speech in the United States last year.

The leader of the Netherlands' populist Party for Freedom added: "We are now witnessing profound changes that will forever alter Europe's destiny and might send the Continent in what Ronald Reagan called 'a thousand years of darkness.' " And not just Europe, but America as well.

Hillary Clinton says Yemen is a 'top concern'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8440362.stm
France has become the third Western nation to shut its Yemen embassy, in response to a perceived increase in the security threat from al-Qaeda.
The US and UK embassies, which closed on Sunday, remain closed.
Speaking after a meeting with the visiting prime minister of Qatar, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said stability in Yemen is a top priority for the US.

Arizona May Abandon Speed Cameras on Highways

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/03/us/03arizona.html?ref=us
PHOENIX (AP) — More than a year after Arizona became the first state in the country to deploy dozens of speed cameras on highways statewide, threats to the groundbreaking program abound.

Profits are far below expectations, a citizen effort to ban the cameras is gaining steam, the governor has said she does not like the program, and more and more drivers are ignoring the tickets they get in the mail after hearing from fellow speeders that there are often no consequences to doing so.

“I see all the cameras in Arizona completely coming down ” in 2010, said Shawn Dow, chairman of Arizona Citizens Against Photo Radar, which is trying to get a measure banning the cameras on the November ballot. “The citizens of Arizona took away the cash cow of Arizona by refusing to pay.”

New scanners break child porn laws

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/04/new-scanners-child-porn-laws
The rapid introduction of full body scanners at British airports threatens to breach child protection laws which ban the creation of indecent images of children, the Guardian has learned.

Privacy campaigners claim the images created by the machines are so graphic they amount to "virtual strip-searching" and have called for safeguards to protect the privacy of passengers involved.

Full body scans now, RFID Taser bracelets coming next?


[Editors note: Don't forget about this idea the DHS has been kicking around...]
http://www.washingtontimes.com/weblogs/aviation-security/2008/Jul/01/want-some-torture-with-your-peanuts/
Just when you thought you’ve heard it all...

A senior government official with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has expressed great interest in a so-called safety bracelet that would serve as a stun device, similar to that of a police Taser®. According to this promotional video found at the Lamperd Less Lethal, Inc. website, the bracelet would be worn by all airline passengers.

See also...
Upcoming Airline Security Project: The Anti-Hijacking Safety Bracelet

Monday, January 4, 2010

If any of your idiot friends still believe in AGW, make them read this letter


http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100021272/if-any-of-your-idiot-friends-still-believe-in-agw-make-them-read-this-letter/
The climate ought not to be used as a shoddy pretext for international bureaucratic-centralist dictatorship. We committed Europeans have had more than enough of that already with the unelected but all-powerful Kommissars of the hated EU, who make nine-tenths of our laws by decree (revealingly, they call them “Directives” or “Commission Regulations”). The Kommissars (that is the official German word for them) inflict their dictates upon us regardless of what the elected European or any other democratic Parliament says or wishes. Do we want a worldwide EU? No.

Climategate: You should be steamed


http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6795858.html
Climategate reveals how predetermined political agendas shaped science rather than the other way around. It is high time to question the true agenda of the scientists now on the hot seat and to bring skeptics back into the public debate.

TSA tries to assuage privacy concerns about full-body scans

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/03/AR2010010301826.html?hpid=topnews
It has come to this.

Already shoeless, beltless and waterless, more beleaguered air passengers will be holding their legs apart, raising their arms and effectively baring it all as they pass through U.S. airport security checkpoints.

Children reaching age 3 without being able to say a word, survey finds


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6974590.ece
Children are reaching the age of 3 without being able to say a word, according to a survey that also found boys are almost twice as likely to struggle to learn to speak as girls.

The average age for a baby to speak their first word is 10 to 11 months. However, a significant minority (4 per cent) of parents reported that their child said nothing until they were 3.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Linked to Body Scanner Manufacturer


http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/01/02/group_slams_chertoff_on_scanner_promotion/
The Boston Globe         January 4, 2010
WASHINGTON - Since the attempted bombing of a US airliner on Christmas Day, former Homeland Security secretary Michael Chertoff has given dozens of media interviews touting the need for the federal government to buy more full-body scanners for airports.

What he has made little mention of is that the Chertoff Group, his security consulting agency, includes a client that manufactures the machines. Chertoff disclosed the relationship on a CNN program Wednesday, in response to a question.

An airport passengers’ rights group on Thursday criticized Chertoff’s use of his former government credentials to advocate for a product that benefits his clients.

Bono net policing idea draws fire


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8439200.stm
In a move that drew significant criticism, Bono went on to suggest that the feasibility of tracking down file-sharers had already been proven.

He hinted that China's efforts prove that tracking net content is possible.

John McLaughlin: Freedom is “Most Overrated” Political Issue of 2009

Retired U.S. General: “in next 30 to 100 days a very high probability US airliner will come down.”


“We have got to go to very, very strict screening and we’ve got to use profiling. And I mean, be very, very serious about the profiling. If you are an 18-28-year-old Muslim man, then you should be strip searched. If we don’t do that, there’s a very high probability that we’re gonna lose an airliner.”

All Hectic.

December was coldest month in 28 years


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0104/breaking26.htm
Last month was the coldest December for almost 30 years over most of the country, Met Éireann has said.

In its monthly summary, the forecaster said December was the coldest month for 28 years for most of the country and the coldest of any month since February 1986 at a few stations.

Organic food is no healthier, study finds


http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE56S3ZJ20090729
[Editor's note: the previous post on Matt Monarch reminded me of this story back in July...]

LONDON (Reuters) - Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.


Banned on YouTube: Matt Monarch's Raw Food World: Coconut Keifer, Episode #340


http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=101882596
Video Details Description:
www.TheRawFoodWorld .com
You guys are not going to believe this!!! The Raw Food World TV Show was BANNED from YouTube!!! Check this video out!... and... learn how to make coconut keifer ;-)

YEMEN: Connect the Dots...

9/11 commission chairman says would-be plane bomber ‘did us a favor’


http://rawstory.com/2009//01/911-commission-chairman-wouldbe-plane-bomber-did-favor/
The Republican chairman of the Bush Administration's 9/11 Commission declared Sunday that the would-be-terrorist who tried to blow up a plane en route to Detroit "probably did us a favor."

The GOP chairman's quote raised eyebrows; by his logic, the Sept. 11, 2001 attackers may also have "done us a favor" by drawing US attention to extremism in Afghanistan.

Afgan Attacker Was CIA Informant


http://abcnews.go.com/WN/cia-attacker-driven-pakistan/story?id=9463880
The suicide bomber who killed at least six Central Intelligence Agency officers in a base along the Afghan-Pakistan border on Wednesday was a regular CIA informant who had visited the same base multiple times in the past, according to someone close to the base's security director.

Pope urges lifestyle changes to save environment


http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6000G220100101
Recalling that world leaders had gathered in Copenhagen last month for the U.N. climate conference, the pope said action at a personal and community level was just as important to safeguard the environment.

Friday, January 1, 2010

The Name Change in Iraq: Multi-National Force in Iraq Becomes U.S. Forces in Iraq


http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/
The first of January will bring in more than a new year for U.S. troops serving in Iraq; it will also bring them a new name, as the moniker Multi-National Forces-Iraq (MNF-I) is replaced by the new term, U.S. Forces-Iraq.

The dropping of the name "multi-national" removes one of the last reminders to the "coalition of the willing" that the Bush administration used to describe the 2003 allied invasion of Iraq and the subsequent effort to stabilize the country.

The long-awaited name change reflects the reality that, since July, only U.S. troops have continued to serve in Iraq.

White House grants ethics waiver to counterterrorism adviser John Brennan who headed terror database company


http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/12/white_house_grants_ethics_waiver_to_john_brennan.php
President Obama's top counterterrorism adviser, John O. Brennan, will lead the White House review of intelligence community information practices and aviation security, even though he was CEO of the private company the government used to help manage a key terrorism database before he joined the administration.

In response to questions about Brennan's potential conflict of interest, White House ethics counsel Norm Eisen has issued a waiver for Brennan, official said.

'US readying paralyzing Iran sanctions'

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1261364534689&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Jerusalem Post
December 29, 2009
The US administration is heading towards placing "paralyzing" sanctions on Iran, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Michael Oren said Tuesday. Speaking to Army Radio, Oren added that although it was "too early," the US had also not yet abandoned the military option.

"The Americans attribute the highest importance to the Iranian issue," he said during the interview. "The US, along with other countries, is preparing to impose paralyzing sanctions on [Iran], and preparations are happening even now."  

Napolitano announces international airport security campaign

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/
The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday announced it would launch a campaign next week to strengthen security screening procedures at a host of international airports.

The effort is part of the White House's heightened response to a Christmas Day attempt to bomb Delta Flight 253 in Detroit, a flight that originated in Amsterdam.

Times Square a Police State On New Year’s Eve


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.9b570b64ee871a1afe51903c181a6621.381&show_article=1
"I think the level of security this time around within the United States is absolutely unprecedented," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said on CBS's "The Early Show."

New York is on a heightened state of alert following the Christmas Day alleged attempt by a Nigerian man to detonate explosives on a Northwest Airlines plane flying to Detroit.

Thousands of police officers were deployed in and around Times Square, backed by undercover officers, surveillance cameras, rooftop snipers, and devices able to detect radiation or biological agents.

Partygoers crowding into Times Square were not allowed to carry backpacks or alcohol and were banned from reentering the zone once they left.