Thursday, April 29, 2010

Drones Patrolling US Cities; Russian Subs Off East Coast

From Jenna Orkin

Headlines
Egypt: Lebanon in "Panic" Over Fear of Israeli Attack
Drones Patrolling US Cities
Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast
Russia deploys S-400 missile system near North Korea
Israel to Manufacture Drones in Russia - Yemeni paper
GM Food: Feeding the Hungry or Population Control?
Europe Is Finished Unless It Changes The Rules Fast
"Make no mistake, this is the worst crisis since World War II."

World
Ahmadinejad to visit the U.S.
Russian PM Putin orders Arctic cleanup
India signs agreements for Russian arms
AP sources: Military-civilian terror prison eyed
Kidnap, oil theft plague Nigeria as amnesty falters
Chadian army clashes with rebels
Seven killed in Yemen clash
Iraqi government prison 'worse than Abu Ghraib'
Troops open fire on Thai protesters
3 Killed in Qandahar Bombing as the UNO leaves; South Asia now Most Dangerous - from Vantage Point
US DoD releases damning Afghan report
87% increase in violence in 2009
Israel Cuts Arms Sales to Turkey - UPI
CNN reporter quits because of network's scandalous attitude towards PTSD
Three Points of View: The United States, India and Pakistan: Stratfor

Economy
A Clear Warning Sign: Global Liquidity Is Drying Up! - from Rice Farmer
Euro Slide Hurts US Multinational Corporation Profits; Roubini Eyes Sovereign Debt Defaults, Inflation
How Much is Needed to Bail Out Greece? $159 Billion? $794 Billion? Estimates Vary Wildly as Greece Turns Viral; S&P Downgrades Spain
Britain 'risks Greek-style crisis'
Another $586 billion "Stimulus" Coming to China?
States Bristle as Investors Make Wagers on Defaults
Ban the Bailout?
Fannie Mae Owns Patent on Residential Cap and Trade
Three picked for Federal Reserve
Self-Evaluations Seen as New Source of Concern After Goldman Sachs Hearing
Who could've seen that one coming?
Clinton's Niece Living on Food Stamps

Terror/Intelligence
July 7 inquest 'should not investigate MI5 role'
Militia groups quadruple
Is the CIA Behind Mexico's Bloody Drug War?
Former CIA Spy Arrested With Drug Paraphernalia, Handgun
CIA rolls out plan to beef up spy techniques - from Rice Farmer
Buzz builds: Pak to get 2 n-reactors from China - from Rice Farmer
China Amends Secrets Law to Force Internet Companies to Assist in Probes
Drone Pilots Could Be Tried for ‘War Crimes,’ Law Prof Says
Incidents of fratricide in the U.S. war on terrorism increased in recent years, according to a new report (pdf) from the U.S. Army. - from Secrecy News
Univ. of Wisc. Cancels Antiwar Forum Over ‘Security Concerns’ - from Rice Farmer
Markey eyes privacy concerns over copiers
Facebook backs privacy guidelines
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg "Doesn't Believe in Privacy" - from Jon Noel
JO comment: This announcement is based on an associate's off record chat.
White House reporters afraid to criticize the White House - from Vantage Point
17,000 NJ Students Use Facebook to Organize Statewide Walkout
Actually, the Army Kind of Likes Your Blog
Golly, we're touched.

Resources/Environment
15 Facts You Absolutely Need To Know About Phosphorus
Helium-3 Shortage Could Mean Nuke Detection ‘Disaster’
Feds OK Cape Wind
Can World's Largest Laser Zap Energy Woes?
No.
Allegation: Obama, Gore, Goldman et al. to Use Climate Gate Exchange to Fleece Nation: Conservative examiner

24 comments:

Weaseldog said...

In the late 90s, I saw gray dirigible that was maybe six feet long buzz across the field near my house. It came within ten feet of me and I could hear the electric motors on it buzzing. When it came to the tree line, it rose up quickly and disappeared from sight.

It was dusk and it moved surprisingly fast, so I didn't get a clear look at the underside.

I have friend that claims to have seen one cruising along, a feet feet over a country highway.

I figured it had to be a military drone. The way it maneuvered, it had to be autonomous, or have a camera and live feed going back to the operator. No one could operate it like that blindly.

We have a few defense contractors in the area, so i wouldn't be surprised if that wasn't an urban field test.

Elmo said...

I don't know about drones, but we get those dual-prop military transport helicopters flying over our house all the time. Usually two at a time. That's been going on since early 2008. Sometimes they fly low enough to rattle the dishes.

Elmo said...

"Actually, the Army Kind of Likes Your Blog
Golly, we're touched."


Why? They didn't even mention FTW. I guess we're not worthy of pentagon surveillance! :-(

Elmo said...

Report: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Doesn’t Believe In Privacy

Neither do I... Or at least I'm not naive enough to think I have any while I'm on the Internet!

What I love is when a supposedly "educated" executive uses something like GMAIL, then wonders how his "sensitive information" gets stolen!

Oh, yeah... "We value your privacy!" .... BWAHAHAHAHA!

Elmo said...

Scandal: Obama, Gore, Goldman, Joyce Foundation CCX partners to fleece USA

They already fleeced the nation! WTF is left?

I do have to wonder, though... They used Iran/contra to distract us while they crushed the unions. They used 9/11 to distract us while they made side-bets on the housing bubble. It makes me wonder what global warming is a distraction for?

Elmo said...

On closing Guantanimo...

"Congress has blocked $80 million intended to bring the detainees to the United States. Lawmakers want the administration to say how it plans to make the moves without putting Americans at risk."

You know... THAT'S the most ridiculous statement I've heard all week! What, do they think one of them might have swallowed a nuke?

You chain 'em together, put 'em on a 747, and fly 'em to Leavenworth! How difficult is that?!

Ah well, I'd say the real plan is not to close Guantanamo; but that would be a cunspeerissy theerie!

businessman said...

Having drones patrolling the skies above Las Vegas isn't really a major stretch of the imagination. Nellis Air Force Base, which is adjacent to Las Vegas, is where the drones the United States is utilizing in the Middle East are piloted from.

businessman said...

With the massive amount of money that's been added to the U.S. money supply, we still haven't seen much in the way of inflation. I believe a major reason for this is because a ton of this money has been used for bailouts, and a ton of that money has been reinvested back into the stock market...which is a big reason why the stock market has risen again in value by so much over the past year.

Since this massive growth in our money supply hasn't really gotten into the hands of the average consumer, the money hasn't been available to spend and bid up the prices of goods and services...outside of what I just mentioned about bidding up the value of stock.

So if this is the case, it makes me wonder how long the government may still be able to really keep this game going. If they keep bailing out the insiders, the money gets reinvested into the stock market, and inflation still stays in check, there may still be the perception that the stock market remains strong, and that the dollar hasn't lost a lot of its value from inflation.

I know something's gotta give at some time, but I think they're onto a great way to keep the game going while taking care of their insiders at the same time.

dalex said...

The increased drone use is just one more disturbing step toward Orwellian dystopia. Gaston county is not far from here, and it's not the kind of place you'd typically expect to find a UAV in use. (Raleigh or Charlotte, maybe -- but little Gastonia? It's almost funny.)

Just a couple days ago, I experienced my own "Buzzing," somewhat akin to Weaseldog's experience. A formation of three unmarked dark gray helicopters appeared to the east, and flew over our pasture area at about six or eight hundred feet, before disappearing to the west. Made me wonder what kind of exercise they were doing, out here in the middle of nowhere -- and what kind of organization is allowed to use unmarked aircraft? (At least they weren't gunships...)

Another disconcerting realization was how fast a force like that can deploy. If they had wanted to have lunch with us (or something not so pleasant), they could have been at our door within 60 seconds of hearing their rotors.

Unknown said...

Disempower money.

Soggy Bottom said...

Eyeballs I agree.

How?

Any suggestions?

Anyone.

Paul said...

@Elmo "It makes me wonder what global warming is a distraction for?"

er, Peak Oil?

Namaste

Anonymous said...

Businessman: Have you been to the grocery store lately? I see huge increases in the price of most foods we normally eat - some as much as 50% more, just over the last few months. Clothes are also getting pretty steep, as well as vastly decreased in quality.

We have seen an increase in groups of what appear to be military helicopters passing overhead at odd times and we aren't near any military bases. I have also seen military personnel in uniform at convenience stores with their humvees in the parking lot. I asked one why he was in the area, he said he had an "assignment" he had to do.

As far as the drones and the helicopters go, if you read The Traveler series by John Twelvehawks, he claims that all the technology he mentions in his books is all already here and in use. While fiction, it is quite disturbing to contemplate how much we are watched. Knowing what they are capable of is the worst kind of intimidation. Twelvehawks refers to it as the "virtual panopticon", where everyone everywhere is under the invisible watch of only one or two people. Since no one knows exactly who is being watched or why, they get submissive behavior from the masses for very little investment. Maybe that's why we see so little overt resistance to the current state of affairs (sheeple). Compared to past generations, it is amazing how little protest is being seen given the amount of funny business going on. Is it fear or is it "let George do it" that is keeping folks quiet these days? Twelvehawks is reported to live his life "off the grid" with no traceable identity. That must be an all-consuming endeavor in today's world.

Elmo said...

"Compared to past generations, it is amazing how little protest is being seen given the amount of funny business going on."

Maybe it's because they walk around with automatic weapons, while we get thrown in jail if we get caught carrying a pocket knife! [that may or may not be true; but it's what people believe]

Get the people who aren't addicted to their iPods, who might actually want something to change, to believe they're not already beaten, and maybe there will be a chance for humanity. Of course, you'll have to start with people like me, and that might pose a bit of a challenge! :-)

Eric Stewart said...

Climate change- Is it real or an conspiracy to undermine our freedom? I'm in college classes for chemistry and biology and to me climate change can be mitigated, but ocean acidification due to our oceans carbon sinking properties is the bigger dilemma.

I once talked about peak oil- a friend blasted me saying that people are putting out this information to scare us so they can manipulate our lives. I'm so lost sometimes in this debate of a new society. I sometimes feel that industrial society needs to be dismantled instead of debated over.

F.Kamilov said...

Tsk Tsk Tsk, the poor poor European Union

First, its some pesky volcano, with an even peskier name;

And now, its their dream currency...

Paul said...

The bare facts of biodiversity

quote

Despite the limitations of the data available, governments are undoubtedly better informed about biodiversity decline and its causes than at any time in the past. There's no room left to claim "we don't understand the problem".

But the problem is closely tied to human development - the rising population, the rising use of resources, eating more food, building more roads, using more energy.

Halting these implies a cost: which is why there's growing interest now in documenting the costs of not halting them - of totting up the value that intact ecosystems bring, and what it would cost to replace the services they provide.

unquote

Whilst I understand the motivation of the people wanting to put a financial value on our natural world - they are up against a globalist conspiracy of accountants after all - it just feels wrong to me. Like those calculations “they” do to put a value on a human life.

The Natural World - and a human life - has a value which transcends money, or any estimate of the services that they may provide. And services they may provide to whom? The elite? surely not to the indigenous tribe trying to also survive in that ecosystem?

Namaste

Unknown said...

Soggy, a difficult question you are asking.

YOU can disempower money by not responding to its bluster and its wiles. They say "Money talks." And it's true. But what is it saying? If it motivates 100 people to poison each other, or to fight a war or pave paradise, you still don't have to do it. If it has a team of lawyers to promote lies and steal what is yours, you don't have to buckle.

The idea of money is like the idea of private property. TPTB have it embedded in poor people that if this is my toothbrush, then that is their factory. Nobody can interfere with my toothbrush, so nobody can interfere with their factory. That my toothbrush is not polluting, nor empowering me financially over my neighbors, nor exploiting any workers, is completely overlooked. If private property is not true for Mr. Big's factory, then it's not true for my toothbrush, my living room and so forth. Obvious bullshit, but it's deeply ingrained.

With money, it's felt that yes, it's dirty, but we have to have it. Do you want more money? Of course you do. And so does Mr. Big. So shut up and let him wheel and deal, and you take your paycheck and try to make it cover rent, food, health care and Christmas. That we have markers for value, to exchange our labor or goods with others, is said to prove the validity of Bill Gates having 50 billion times more power than the guy who has just one dollar. Obvious bullshit again, but that's the universal understanding.

How to break the universal understanding, ah, zee big question. Undoubtably the rich are in lower repute in America than at any time in our nation's history. Of course, they're also richer than they've ever been, compared to those around them. So... does that matter?

Might depend how they play their cards. FDR is sometimes credited with saving capitalism, because much more radical changes were being demanded, than he actually brought in. It was enough to mollify the masses, his compromise with socialism. This time, there seems to be no compromise forthcoming.

Class war could be really messy. But what if another method were discovered, which made money meaningless? Hyperinflation could do it, but it's the super-rich who control the levers that would likely bring that about. MCR thinks they're not in control. I kind of think they have a pretty good bag of tricks, but then they're at the end of a very long swindle, and it's time to leave the casino. Whether they'll get away before their foundational illusions vaporize, I dunno.

My strategy: call bullshit on the power of money as best as I can, and assist others in making choices without regard to its purported power. I've always wondered what the emperor would look like in the buff, and I think we're about to find out.

Margaret said...

Why aren't people protesting publicly like they used to in the 60s and 70s?

Here's what I think: With increased cost of living and a decrease in wages plus an increase in weekly work hours, many people I know are simply too busy and tired to give a hoot about anything for longer than 5 minutes. They're busy shuttling their kids around, or vegging out after a 12 hour workday, or trying to keep up with home economics (mowing, cooking, cleaning, parenting, repairing all those cheap-ass Made-in-China appliances that break after 6 mos).

Not to mention most people are addicted to TV (I gave up cable/broadcast 6 mos ago and I have soooo much more free time).

Keep wages low, fear high, entertainment addictive and cost of living increasing yearly and you end up with sheeple. All they can manage is survival mode. They can't manage creativity. They have no time or energy for protest and activism.

The cure for this is voluntary simplicity.

What do you all think?

gamedog said...

For Eric, not really a dilemma see non Ocean Acidification

Ask your chemistry teacher, if man is "responsible" for 4% of the current "extra" Co2, where did the rest come from? Since Co2 trend has lagged temperature trend by 800 years it seems Oceans play a much bigger role in climate than the alarmists give credit for.
============
Soggy see Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS)

UK LETS news

International LETS Groups Directory


I think a large part of how we got here, was due to the systematic dismantling of community. And therein lies the answers.

Eric Stewart said...

@gamedog - thats exactly why I'm skeptical about climate change. My chemistry teacher doesn't advocate climate change but we do talk about the remarkedly high growth rate of CO2 in our atmosphere.

The bankers own too much of the cap and trade deals going on in Washington, i fear its just another gambit to control our lives more. Really the issues of the Environmental movement is not Earth, but people. The earth will take care of itself, even after the oil spill the mangroves will re-grow in half a century or more. It's people we have to change and fear, not the Earth.

What are your thoughts on Peak oil? Perhaps climate change is a mask for peak oil- They keep talking about how we need to cut carbon emissions by 90% - kinda coincidental how Peak oil would accomplish that in just about the same time line no?

gamedog said...

Eric "Perhaps climate change is a mask for peak oil"

Exactly, I raised this point some months ago prior to "climategate".

I can count the other people who have expressed this view on one hand, so I still consider it a minority view.

Paul said...

@gamedog

"I can count the other people who have expressed this view on one hand, so I still consider it a minority view."

check my 12.02 posting!

...still only three of us tho!

:-)

Unknown said...

Margaret, YES. Absolutely.

"Get out, get out, ye sons of Lot, and don’t you turn around."