Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Brazil looks to break from US-centric Internet
Via Bill
Brazil plans to divorce itself from the U.S.-centric Internet over Washington's widespread online spying, a move that many experts fear will be a potentially dangerous first step toward fracturing a global network built with minimal interference by governments.
The leader is so angered by the espionage that on Tuesday she
postponed next month's scheduled trip to Washington, where she was to be
honored with a state dinner.
Brazil plans to divorce itself from the U.S.-centric Internet over Washington's widespread online spying, a move that many experts fear will be a potentially dangerous first step toward fracturing a global network built with minimal interference by governments.
President Dilma Rousseff
ordered a series of measures aimed at greater Brazilian online
independence and security following revelations that the U.S. National
Security Agency intercepted her communications, hacked into the
state-owned Petrobras oil company's network and spied on Brazilians who
entrusted their personal data to U.S. tech companies such as Facebook
and Google.
More @ Yahoo
FRIEND: Navy Yard Shooter Liberal, Supported Obama
Via WiscoDave
Tuesday, on CNN's "The Lead with Jake Tapper," Michael Ritrovato spoke at length about his friend, suspected Navy Yard shooter Aaron Alexis. After expressing his condolences to the victims and their families, Ritrovato then expressed his shock over the actions of a man he described as being "like a brother to me" and a "good-natured guy."
Ritrovato went on to explain that two of them had a close relationship based in part on their differences, specifically race and politics. Alexis was black, Ritrovato is white. Ritrovato described himself as conservative and Alexis is "more of a liberal type" who supported Barack Obama:
More @ Breitbart
Congressman: CIA Employee Who Refused to Sign Non-Disclosure on Benghazi Suspended
A CIA employee who refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement barring him from discussing the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, has been suspended as a result and forced to hire legal counsel, according to a top House lawmaker.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R., Va.) revealed at an event on Monday that his office was anonymously informed about the CIA employee, who is purportedly facing an internal backlash after refusing to sign a legal document barring him from publicly or privately discussing events surrounding the Benghazi attack.
The revelation comes about a month after several media outlets reported that CIA employees with knowledge of the terror attack had been forced to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDA) and submit to regular polygraph tests.
More @ Free Beacon
Homeowner Shoots, Kills Intruder in Gun-battle
A homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Tuesday morning in Munhall.
According to police, the shooting happened at a home in the 100-block of East Eugene Avenue near Victor Way and Wade Way around 3:45 a.m.
Investigators say the 58-year-old homeowner had been contacted by a neighbor who saw two men breaking into his detached garage.
“About quarter to four this morning, Munhall Police received a call from a homeowner that someone was breaking into his garage,” said Sgt. Joseph Cibula, the Acting Munhall Police chief. “The homeowner came out of his house to confront the suspect inside of his garage. Both the homeowner and the suspect did have a weapon on them.”
Both opened fire, and it spread out into the alleyway in front of the garage. More than a dozen shots were fired. The homeowner was unhurt but shaken.
More @ CBS
US to help Syrian rebels fight chemical weapons
Via avordvet
President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for the US to send chemical weapons-related assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as international organizations working inside the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
The move comes nearly a month after a deadly chemical weapons attack near Damascus that raised the specter of a US military strike and resulted in a diplomatic deal aimed at stripping Syria of its stockpiles of deadly gases. While the White House says the international response should deter future attacks, the authorization of chemical weapons-related assistance signaled that the US was at least preparing for the possibility that the deadly gases might be used again.
Sticking his nose into other people's business as usual.
President Barack Obama on Monday cleared the way for the US to send chemical weapons-related assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as international organizations working inside the war-torn Middle Eastern country.
The move comes nearly a month after a deadly chemical weapons attack near Damascus that raised the specter of a US military strike and resulted in a diplomatic deal aimed at stripping Syria of its stockpiles of deadly gases. While the White House says the international response should deter future attacks, the authorization of chemical weapons-related assistance signaled that the US was at least preparing for the possibility that the deadly gases might be used again.
More @ Times of Israel
A response to ‘Cork Graham is a CIA-faker’ (Part 2)
[Second in a three part series, where Cork Graham responds to critics and discusses his combat experience in Central America in the 1980s.--editor]
A shooting lesson
A longer barrel improves the tracking on a running target. Even the average deer hunter practiced in taking moving game, or a goose hunter with a long-barreled shotgun shooting at passing geese, knows this.
The regular length M16 is a viable sniping weapon when used in certain environments, and often more readily at hand than the sniper-dedicated M14 with ART scope that was what the Salvadoran military was issuing its military. This understanding of how viable an M16 is as a tactical shooting weapon is something that the Army finally took to heart with the designated marksman (SDM): a sniper quality shooter without all the rest of the training a fully designated sniper receives.
Carrying that M16 on this specific operation, I was also able to hide myself much more easily among the rest of the indigenous combatants—who in their right mind would want to stand out with the kind of technology that would blink like a road sign?: Shoot Me—I’m an American Advisor!
Take for example the non-com next to me, who actually isn’t a U.S. Special Forces as Spencer would like to imagine, but a Salvadoran Navy SEAL. He was a naturalized citizen from another Central American country.
I’m six-foot, so his height might have thrown you off, Spence? But, you should have been able to tell by the type of uniform and gear that he was neither a US Navy SEAL, nor a Green Beret—right?
Tiger stripes
More @ Human Events
Florida Police Jail Man For Protesting Red Light Cameras
Via avordvet
Police in Apopka, Florida arrested a man on Saturday morning for distributing a petition that would put the issue of ending red light camera use to a public vote. Mark E. Schmidter, a 66-year-old commercial roofing contractor, stood on the side of the road waiting for the light to turn red at the corner of East Main Street and South Park Avenue. Once traffic came to a stop, he would walk in between cars and distribute a double-sided sheet of paper. One side had a petition form that residents could fill out and a message urging participation in Wednesday's city council meeting. The other side provided information on why cameras should not be used (view flyer).
"Red light cameras are all about money -- not safety," the flyer said in large type. "Governments choose tax money over safety of motorists."
Officer Robert Campbell watched what was going on and used the public address system on his squad car to order Schmidter to stop. Schmidter says he was not able to understand what was said on the loudspeaker. Officer Campbell described the scene in his arrest report.
"As I was approaching him, I read 'BAN CAMS' on the sign he was wearing," Officer Campbell wrote. "He was holding a large stack of papers... I asked him if he had a permit to protest the red light cameras, and he said no."
At this point, Officer Campbell asked for Schmidter's identification. Since he was not driving, the man explained he was not carrying any. The officer then asked for his name and date of birth. Schmidter declined to do so unless the officer could show him what law he had violated. Officer Campbell said he did not have to do that. After asking one more time he grabbed Schmidter's wrist, handcuffed him, and placed him under arrest.
During the commotion, a man came out of Chuck's Wagon restaurant and identified himself as a former county judge to one of the other officers on the scene. He recognized Schmidter from a previous incident where Schmidter was jailed for handing out flyers on the courthouse steps outside of a designated free speech zone.
"That's the last person you need to mess with," the judge warned.
Police in Apopka, Florida arrested a man on Saturday morning for distributing a petition that would put the issue of ending red light camera use to a public vote. Mark E. Schmidter, a 66-year-old commercial roofing contractor, stood on the side of the road waiting for the light to turn red at the corner of East Main Street and South Park Avenue. Once traffic came to a stop, he would walk in between cars and distribute a double-sided sheet of paper. One side had a petition form that residents could fill out and a message urging participation in Wednesday's city council meeting. The other side provided information on why cameras should not be used (view flyer).
"Red light cameras are all about money -- not safety," the flyer said in large type. "Governments choose tax money over safety of motorists."
Officer Robert Campbell watched what was going on and used the public address system on his squad car to order Schmidter to stop. Schmidter says he was not able to understand what was said on the loudspeaker. Officer Campbell described the scene in his arrest report.
"As I was approaching him, I read 'BAN CAMS' on the sign he was wearing," Officer Campbell wrote. "He was holding a large stack of papers... I asked him if he had a permit to protest the red light cameras, and he said no."
At this point, Officer Campbell asked for Schmidter's identification. Since he was not driving, the man explained he was not carrying any. The officer then asked for his name and date of birth. Schmidter declined to do so unless the officer could show him what law he had violated. Officer Campbell said he did not have to do that. After asking one more time he grabbed Schmidter's wrist, handcuffed him, and placed him under arrest.
During the commotion, a man came out of Chuck's Wagon restaurant and identified himself as a former county judge to one of the other officers on the scene. He recognized Schmidter from a previous incident where Schmidter was jailed for handing out flyers on the courthouse steps outside of a designated free speech zone.
"That's the last person you need to mess with," the judge warned.
More @ The Newspaper
The Top 5 Most Partisan Things President Obama Said During in His Oddly-Timed Econ. Speech
Via avordvet
Doofus.
As law enforcement officials searched
Monday for possible suspects involved in a mass shooting at the
Washington Naval Yard, President Barack Obama praised his administration
for supposedly rescuing the U.S. economy and attacked Republicans for
opposing his agenda.
The president began by addressing the
crisis in the nation’s capital and then made some quick remarks
regarding the situation in Syria.
“[T]he horrible use of chemical weapons
on innocent people including children, the need for a firm response
from the international community and over the weekend, we took an
important step in that direction towards moving Syria’s chemical weapons
under international control so that they can be destroyed,” he said.
“And we’re not there yet. But if
properly implemented, this agreement could end the threat these weapons
pose not only to the Syrian people, but to the world,” he added.
The president proceeded as planned with
a speech on the U.S. economy and how things can only move forward if
Republicans stop blocking his agenda.
Here are the top five most partisan things President Obama said in his oddly-timed economic speech:
More @ The Blaze
Company operating hundreds of AZ charging stations near collapse
Via WiscoDave
ECOtality, the electric car-charging company
that operates more than 600 charging stations in Arizona, may be about to close its door.
Last month, the company disclosed a myriad of problems with the SEC. In that filing, ECOtality released the following statement:
Heh!:)
that operates more than 600 charging stations in Arizona, may be about to close its door.Last month, the company disclosed a myriad of problems with the SEC. In that filing, ECOtality released the following statement:
"Although the Company is
currently exploring options for a restructuring or sale of the entire
business and/or assets of the Company, the Company may need to file a
petition commencing a case under the United States Bankruptcy Code as
part of any such process or otherwise in the very near future."
ECOtality was heavily involved in the federal
government's EV Project, sponsored by the Department of Energy. The goal
of that program was to install charging stations and electric vehicle
infrastructure throughout the United States.
More with video @ CBS
AR-15: Anti-Gun Narrative Blows Up In Face of CNN, Daily News
Tuesday's New York Daily News cover story is nothing more than a long-form editorial that attempts to make the AR-15 (a semiautomatic sport rifle) the bad guy in Monday's horrific Navy Yard shooting. Last night, CNN attempted to do the same through blowhard Piers Morgan. But there is just one problem: CNN and The Daily News are 100% wrong. The FBI has just confirmed that a shotgun and two pistols were recovered, and that the "gunman was NOT armed with [an] AR-15."
Tuesday morning's Daily News cover hysterically blared, "Same Gun Different Slay."
More @ Breitbart
Report: Yes, Hillary's Benghazi 'Investigation' Was a Whitewash
You can file these developments in the "we sort of already knew this" category, but the additional confirmation is welcome. Remember, the administration-backed probe into the Benghazi massacre led to (since rescinded) sanctions against four mid-level scapegoats -- one of whom clearly deserved some blame -- while letting higher-level officials off the hook. Indeed, the "Accountability" Review Board declined to even interview the Secretary of State. Yet the White House insisted that its report was comprehensive and closed the door on the matter. In advance of Thursday's fresh round of hearings, these details indict ARB's process and conclusions, as well as State's response:
The State Department’s investigation into the Sept. 11, 2012 attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi was not independent and failed to hold senior State Department officials accountable for the failures that led to the death of four Americans, according to a new investigative report compiled by the House Oversight Committee.
More @ Townhall
President Obama waived a provision of federal law designed to prevent the supply of arms to terrorist groups to clear the way for the U.S. to provide military assistance to "vetted" opposition groups fighting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.
Some elements of the Syrian opposition are associated with radical Islamic terrorist groups, including al Qaeda, which was responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pa., in 2001. Assad's regime is backed by Iran and Hezbollah.
The president, citing his authority under the Arms Export Control Act, announced today that he would "waive the prohibitions in sections 40 and 40A of the AECA related to such a transaction."
More @ Washington Examiner
Making Civilian Gear Tactical
Via Stephen
So lets say for the sake of argument
that you’ve got some gear that serves you well day to day but you have
either decided that it needs a more tactical flair. That’s what my
situation was. I have a great Lowe Alpine backpack that I’ve had since
high school. It’s a good pack and is in good shape. The only problem is
that it’s bright blue. That’s hardly a “tactical” color. That’s not to
say that there is anything wrong with a blue backpack but for my
purposes as a firearms instructor and tactical blog writer, it was less
than desirable.
There
are lots of pieces of civilian gear that are well suited for military
or tactical use. For some reason, people seem to have a need to buy
tactical gear with Molle webbing all over it, that they never use.Have
you ever carried a military issue ALICE pack over long distances? They
can be very uncomfortable to carry unless you spend a bunch of money on
upgrades from Tactical Tailor. Civilian packs on the other hand tend to
be heavy on comfort, heavy on cargo space and light on weight. They are
lacking on so called tactical features but as long as you’ve got
somewhere to put your water, you’re good in my book. You will most
likely be wearing some manner of load bearing equipment anyway.
More @ Layman's Tactical
Going Green: EPA Puts Brakes on Chevy Volt's Battery Manufacturer
Via WiscoDave: "Can't make this up."
After getting scolded by the Department of Energy for paying employees (with taxpayer dollars) to play cards and volunteer at local charities, the manufacturer of the Lithium-ion batteries for Chevy Volts finally got their assembly lines moving. . . Only to shut them down again because of “environmental concerns.” It’s kinda cute to watch liberals stumble through their own web of regulatory obstacles.
The LG Chem battery plant in Holland, Michigan was finally scheduled to manufacture a battery or two after years of endless delays. After receiving over $150 million in federal funds, and roughly $175 million in green-energy tax credits, the company decided that it should actually produce a product.
According to the original press reports, the company was supposed to hire over 400 workers, and start producing Lithium-ion batteries for the combustible Chevy Volt as early as 2012 – two years after they scrapped together some environmental fools willing to invest taxpayer dollars in their project. Serving as living proof that Liberals misunderstand the concept of business, the company then paid their workers. . . .well, to do nothing.
Earlier this year, the Department of Energy released an audit in which it reported that the company had only filled about half of its promised positions.
After getting scolded by the Department of Energy for paying employees (with taxpayer dollars) to play cards and volunteer at local charities, the manufacturer of the Lithium-ion batteries for Chevy Volts finally got their assembly lines moving. . . Only to shut them down again because of “environmental concerns.” It’s kinda cute to watch liberals stumble through their own web of regulatory obstacles.
The LG Chem battery plant in Holland, Michigan was finally scheduled to manufacture a battery or two after years of endless delays. After receiving over $150 million in federal funds, and roughly $175 million in green-energy tax credits, the company decided that it should actually produce a product.
According to the original press reports, the company was supposed to hire over 400 workers, and start producing Lithium-ion batteries for the combustible Chevy Volt as early as 2012 – two years after they scrapped together some environmental fools willing to invest taxpayer dollars in their project. Serving as living proof that Liberals misunderstand the concept of business, the company then paid their workers. . . .well, to do nothing.
Earlier this year, the Department of Energy released an audit in which it reported that the company had only filled about half of its promised positions.
More @ Townhall
John Ainsworth & America's Remedy @ NC PATCON October 5th
*****************************
John will be speaking for the third time. Don't miss it!
If you plan on attending, you should mail your check now.
All fees are due by September 20th
I will deposit all checks on Monday the 23rd of September and may go to
Dixieland after that. If so, I will be unable to receive late
submissions and fees cannot be paid at the door, so please remit ASAP.
Thank you.
Please post any comments @
NY art dealer admits to multi-million dollar art fraud
Via Frank
Glafira Rosales admitted she defrauded two Manhattan art galleries of more than $30m (£18m) with 63 fake art pieces.
The paintings were said to be never-before-exhibited and previously unknown works of art by artists including Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
They were sold to unsuspecting buyers for more than $80m (£50m).
Rosales pleaded guilty to nine charges including wire fraud, tax fraud and money laundering.
She admitted in court that the works of art "were actually fakes created by an individual residing in Queens''.
The artist who painted the fakes, 73-year-old Pei-Shen Qian, won't be charged and has returned to his native China, prosecutors said.
A New York art dealer has pleaded guilty to being involved in a 15 year multi-million dollar art fraud.
The paintings were said to be never-before-exhibited and previously unknown works of art by artists including Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko.
They were sold to unsuspecting buyers for more than $80m (£50m).
Rosales pleaded guilty to nine charges including wire fraud, tax fraud and money laundering.
She admitted in court that the works of art "were actually fakes created by an individual residing in Queens''.
The artist who painted the fakes, 73-year-old Pei-Shen Qian, won't be charged and has returned to his native China, prosecutors said.
More @ BBC
Last Chance For The NC Fall 2013 PATCON: 3 days until fees are due
If you plan on attending, you should mail your check tomorrow.
All fees are due by September 20th
I will deposit all checks on Monday the 23rd of September and may go to
Dixieland after that. If so, I will be unable to receive late
submissions and fees cannot be paid at the door, so please remit ASAP.
Thank you.
Please post any comments @