Puerto Rico did not throw the federal budget into chaos; the climate crisis did. Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico and other smaller countries that need assistance out of compassion and obligation; is all nothing more than the climate crisis.
The damage was done to the federal budget by the climate crisis to the tune of, a deficit and debt over a trillion dollars US.
President Trump has these ideas he can fix everything. He can't. The climate will defeat his goals over and over and over again. The "Superstorm" season hasn't even started. There is no tornado season anymore, no hurricane season anymore, there is only the ravages of the climate crisis.
The climate crisis will demand attention to humanity and human need over and over and over. The people of Earth can only seek to minimize deaths and maintain some kind of economy to continue civilization.
President Trump is a climate denier. Every time his agenda is derailed by storms, fires and landslides, it will be a reminder that denying the climate crisis is foolish.
Tuesday, October 03, 2017
"Cheaper than Dirt" has sold out of it's Bump Firem Stocks. A presidential order to end the sale of this would be immediate and should be done.
- Bump Fire System works by using the firearm's natural recoil to reset the trigger each time the operator pulls the trigger for each round fired, thus simulating full-auto fire
- Patented system allows rapid selection between standard & bump fire modes, while decreasing muzzle rise & felt recoil in both modes
- RH operation
- No springs
- 100% billet aluminum stock w/polymer grip
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is playing politics with American lives.
Americans are dying every day due to mass shooting events. US Senator McConnell states it is too soon to discuss the deaths and victims of the Las Vegas murders. He wants the country's discussion to cool off before it is discussed by the Republicans.
When exactly is that going to be, because, these events are frequent and further postponement only means the deaths of more Americans?
If action was taken after the Sandy Hook shooting would Las Vegas have happened?
If transportation of firearms across state lines was made illegal would the deaths in Chicago, Illinois, and New York City happen in the numbers they do?
10 December 2015
By David Smith
Holding candles aloft and singing (click here) This Little Light of Mine with verve, about 500 people held a national vigil for victims of gun violence on Wednesday and spoke of a social movement gathering momentum across America.
There was standing room only at the St Mark’s Episcopal church on Capitol Hill, Washington, for the biggest of hundreds of vigils planned across the US this week, spurred by recent deadly shootings from Colorado to California.
On a night of tears and solemn determination there was testimony from survivors and families who have lost loved ones to gun violence, as well as prayers, music and speeches from politicians, while the names and faces of victims were projected on to a big screen throughout....
...The Newtown Foundation said more than 350 faith and gun violence prevention organisations in 39 states would hold events commemorating next week’s third anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre. Since that atrocity, it estimates, more than 90,000 Americans have been shot and killed by guns; more than 210,000 have been shot and injured; and there have been more than 1,000 mass shooting incidents where four or more people have been shot at one time....
How long do Americans have to wait? How long does it take to cool off? How many more Americans, "SINCE SANDY HOOK" will die because Mitch McConnell is incompetent and cannot see the forest for the trees as to what is real for Americans and how to protect them? How long? How many Americans?
The Republicans are bought and sold by capitalists invested in violence.
Enough!
...Typically, (click here) the FBI undercounts shootings and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under-counts gun deaths because they rely on incomplete reports passed along by local officials and extrapolated surveys. Academic study of gun violence slowed nearly to a halt in 1996 once Congress, at the behest of the National Rifle Association, prohibited federal funding from going to research that could be used to advocate for gun control.
"For firearms, we have rotten, absolutely rotten data," said Jon Vernick, co-director of the Center for Gun Policy and Research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "We have some accounting of the overall number of deaths. But if you want to learn who pulled the trigger or any other circumstances behind the shootings, we collect very little information."...
A common statement for the advocates of gun lobby is that Americans have to protect themselves from a hostile government. The unfortunate truth is that these same people elected the most hostile governments in history.
...Last year, (2016) (click here) according to GVA. there were 384 mass shootings in the United States, adopting the federal government's definition of "four or more people shot and/or killed in a single event." There were 671 children up to age 11 killed or wounded by guns, and 3,124 teenagers up to age 17 killed or wounded. There were 1,971 verified defensive uses of a firearm, which can include either brandishing a gun or shooting it. There were 2,198 unintentional shootings.
Yean, but, as Mitch believes, those are all in Chicago. There isn't anything that is going to change that. At least people that want to follow a lawful life will have guns to protect from the bad guys with a gun.
Overall, there were 15,063 fatal shootings, continuing an upward trend since GVA began counting, and 30,613 gun-related injuries, also reflecting a steady annual increase. None of those numbers include suicide shootings, which GVA doesn't track....
So, numbers don't matter to Mitch. As a matter of fact he prefers NOT TO KNOW of such events. There is nothing to be done and this is America the land of the free and brave. this mess comes with it.
HR 367 (click here)
Introduced in House (01/09/2017)
Hearing Protection Act of 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers, and (2) treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting any registration or licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer. Any person who pays a transfer tax on a silencer after October 22, 2015, may receive a refund of such tax.
The bill amends the federal criminal code to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers.
Enough!
...Typically, (click here) the FBI undercounts shootings and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under-counts gun deaths because they rely on incomplete reports passed along by local officials and extrapolated surveys. Academic study of gun violence slowed nearly to a halt in 1996 once Congress, at the behest of the National Rifle Association, prohibited federal funding from going to research that could be used to advocate for gun control.
"For firearms, we have rotten, absolutely rotten data," said Jon Vernick, co-director of the Center for Gun Policy and Research at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. "We have some accounting of the overall number of deaths. But if you want to learn who pulled the trigger or any other circumstances behind the shootings, we collect very little information."...
A common statement for the advocates of gun lobby is that Americans have to protect themselves from a hostile government. The unfortunate truth is that these same people elected the most hostile governments in history.
...Last year, (2016) (click here) according to GVA. there were 384 mass shootings in the United States, adopting the federal government's definition of "four or more people shot and/or killed in a single event." There were 671 children up to age 11 killed or wounded by guns, and 3,124 teenagers up to age 17 killed or wounded. There were 1,971 verified defensive uses of a firearm, which can include either brandishing a gun or shooting it. There were 2,198 unintentional shootings.
Yean, but, as Mitch believes, those are all in Chicago. There isn't anything that is going to change that. At least people that want to follow a lawful life will have guns to protect from the bad guys with a gun.
Overall, there were 15,063 fatal shootings, continuing an upward trend since GVA began counting, and 30,613 gun-related injuries, also reflecting a steady annual increase. None of those numbers include suicide shootings, which GVA doesn't track....
So, numbers don't matter to Mitch. As a matter of fact he prefers NOT TO KNOW of such events. There is nothing to be done and this is America the land of the free and brave. this mess comes with it.
HR 367 (click here)
Introduced in House (01/09/2017)
Hearing Protection Act of 2017
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) eliminate the $200 transfer tax on firearm silencers, and (2) treat any person who acquires or possesses a firearm silencer as meeting any registration or licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer. Any person who pays a transfer tax on a silencer after October 22, 2015, may receive a refund of such tax.
The bill amends the federal criminal code to preempt state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers.
521 mass shootings. Not people dead, the total people dead does not rattle Congress at all.
477 Days. (click here) 521 Mass Shootings. Zero Action From Congress.
There are too many guns on the street and now we know there is too much permission to the lethality of the guns on the street.
"Oh, this is Chicago." Racist. "Most of those shootings have a motive, but, Las Vegas' motive is not known." Really?
The City of Chicago has it's problem because of the availability of guns that cross the border. Got that? There are guns transported from all over the country to cities and states that leverage tough gun laws.
This is real easy. NO ONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY for the transportation of guns from states that don't care about human life. Nothing difficult about this. There is political leverage for profit that kills Americans with gun violence.
There is no debate. There is a do nothing Congress. The debate was over when the Assault Weapon Ban was ignored and allowed to sunset. Sunset laws are not suppose to return to PRE-BAN conditions, it is suppose to be a KNOWLEDGE BASE to shore up the laws and improve the outcomes. Sunsets are not suppose to dissolve laws, they are suppose to perfect them!
"Oh, this is Chicago." Racist. "Most of those shootings have a motive, but, Las Vegas' motive is not known." Really?
The City of Chicago has it's problem because of the availability of guns that cross the border. Got that? There are guns transported from all over the country to cities and states that leverage tough gun laws.
This is real easy. NO ONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY for the transportation of guns from states that don't care about human life. Nothing difficult about this. There is political leverage for profit that kills Americans with gun violence.
There is no debate. There is a do nothing Congress. The debate was over when the Assault Weapon Ban was ignored and allowed to sunset. Sunset laws are not suppose to return to PRE-BAN conditions, it is suppose to be a KNOWLEDGE BASE to shore up the laws and improve the outcomes. Sunsets are not suppose to dissolve laws, they are suppose to perfect them!
Monday, October 02, 2017
With all this water vapor and turbulence, especially in the Gulf of Mexico, something it going to break loose.
2130.19z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
There is a dual system developing, with one in the Gulf and one over eastern Cuba.
Is the National Hurricane Center on strike? I wouldn't blame them if they were, but, there was a very brief tropical disturbance in the East Pacific off Mexico that looked like it should have had a name.
October 3, 2017
0930.18z
UNISYS Enhanced Infrared GOES West satellite (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
That disturbance in the lower right corner has an eye. Just sayin'.
The current picture doesn't look real great for Hawaii. The system currently sitting over top of the island state has been developing over the last four days. Hawaii is experiencing winds of 7 mph out of the east, but, is expecting winds to build with maximum of 23 mph on Thursday, sustaining through to Friday. I am fairly confident Hawaii will have high surf as well.
2130.19z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES West satellite (click here for a 12 hour loop - thank you)
Now, I'd be happy to carry out all this forecasting and stuff, but, I took a teaching job, after I realized my own value of course and I set my own hours.
I'll let all the folks at the National Hurricane Center continue their work. Supercomputer capacity can be so expensive.
2130z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of the north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop - thank you)
There is activity off West Africa, too.
Donald Trump's campaign was baed in lies. There is no way to know who Americans placed in the White House with Russian help.
October 1, 2017
By Mark Niquette
Donald Trump’s infrastructure guru (click here) spent part of Sept. 26 at a conference in Washington promoting the president’s $1 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s crumbling roads, bridges and airports relying in part on public-private partnerships. The same day, across town, Trump was telling lawmakers that those kinds of deals don’t work.
By Mark Niquette
Donald Trump’s infrastructure guru (click here) spent part of Sept. 26 at a conference in Washington promoting the president’s $1 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s crumbling roads, bridges and airports relying in part on public-private partnerships. The same day, across town, Trump was telling lawmakers that those kinds of deals don’t work.
The president’s apparent change of heart on what’s been an important pillar of his economic plan left key constituents of the infrastructure initiative reeling.
Trump’s remarks, relayed by three lawmakers after a closed meeting with Republicans and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, raised new questions about how the plan would be financed, and whether the president was instead considering increasing federal funding for building projects -- a prospect made harder by the large tax cut the administration proposed Wednesday.
Trump’s remarks, relayed by three lawmakers after a closed meeting with Republicans and Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, raised new questions about how the plan would be financed, and whether the president was instead considering increasing federal funding for building projects -- a prospect made harder by the large tax cut the administration proposed Wednesday.
Democratic lawmakers welcomed the potential opening for more federal spending, while deficit hawks bristled. Both sides, though, are still struggling to interpret Trump’s apparent turnaround....
The reason Donald Trump is backpedaling on a National Infrastructure Bank is because he no longer has to compete with Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
The lying and negligence is mounting with Mr. Trump. This is a pattern causing deaths. The lack of support for Puerto Rico is criminal.
Try this on for size. There is no White House, there is a Washington based office for the Trump Organization. This expression of dual messages exists throughout his administration. Even the generals serving in the staff and cabinet are making statements only to be contradicted by Trump. Does he ever have cabinet and staff meetings to bring his policy decisions to them? Is everything within this administration confused and unpredictable?
August 23, 2016
By Jeff Davis
Investing in national transportation infrastructure (click here) became a significant talking point for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the candidates have proposed improvement programs that would respectively cost $275 billion and $550 billion (Trump promised to double his opponent’s plan).
Although Trump has yet to release details for his plan, Hillary Clinton’s involves enacting a five-year, $275 billion injection of infrastructure spending within her first 100 days in office. According to Clinton’s campaign, business tax reform would fully pay for these investments, $250 billion of which would be direct public investments...
The reason Donald Trump is backpedaling on a National Infrastructure Bank is because he no longer has to compete with Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
The lying and negligence is mounting with Mr. Trump. This is a pattern causing deaths. The lack of support for Puerto Rico is criminal.
Try this on for size. There is no White House, there is a Washington based office for the Trump Organization. This expression of dual messages exists throughout his administration. Even the generals serving in the staff and cabinet are making statements only to be contradicted by Trump. Does he ever have cabinet and staff meetings to bring his policy decisions to them? Is everything within this administration confused and unpredictable?
August 23, 2016
By Jeff Davis
Investing in national transportation infrastructure (click here) became a significant talking point for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump as the candidates have proposed improvement programs that would respectively cost $275 billion and $550 billion (Trump promised to double his opponent’s plan).
Although Trump has yet to release details for his plan, Hillary Clinton’s involves enacting a five-year, $275 billion injection of infrastructure spending within her first 100 days in office. According to Clinton’s campaign, business tax reform would fully pay for these investments, $250 billion of which would be direct public investments...
Typical of a lone wolf, in that no one ever suspects he was this violent.
I am rather concerned this description is too convenient. A man does not have a sub-machine gun without someone knowing it. He practiced. He didn't wake up this morning and decide today I am going to die and take as many people with me as possible.
There is something more to his anger than simply 'this is the day.'
I am sure the FBI is involved by now. They need to carry the investigation. The Las Vegas PD lost a man and another seriously injured. The spokesman I saw this morning was shaken. He was clear and concise, but, at the same time he just wanted to break down into tears and I am sure it was more than his peers.
There is something more to his anger than simply 'this is the day.'
I am sure the FBI is involved by now. They need to carry the investigation. The Las Vegas PD lost a man and another seriously injured. The spokesman I saw this morning was shaken. He was clear and concise, but, at the same time he just wanted to break down into tears and I am sure it was more than his peers.
October 2, 2017
by Jose A. Delreal and Jonah Engel Bromwich
The gunman, identified by the police as Stephen Craig Paddock, 64, was described as a retiree who loved to gamble and who lived with his girlfriend, Marilou Danley, 62.
Relatives said Mr. Paddock had not displayed strong political or ideological beliefs in their interactions with him.
That modest portrait of Mr. Paddock was upended shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday when, according to the police, he opened fire on fans attending an outdoor country music concert near the Mandalay Bay Resort on the Las Vegas Strip, killing nearly 60 people and injuring at least 500 others.
Mr. Paddock was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot in his room on the 32nd floor of the hotel, said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo of Clark County, which includes Las Vegas.
More than 19 rifles were found in the hotel room, a law enforcement official confirmed, along with hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Two rifles with scopes were mounted on tripods and positioned in front of the two windows in the hotel room....
Where is the gun range where he practiced?
...Christopher Sullivan, general manager of Guns & Guitars, a gun store in Mesquite, confirmed that Mr. Paddock bought three guns at his shop within the last year — a handgun and two rifles. All the purchases were legal and cleared routine federal screening, Mr. Sullivan said.
“The man does not have a criminal history,” he said of Mr. Paddock.
Mr. Sullivan, who said he had been contacted by the F.B.I. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, declined to provide detailed descriptions of the guns Mr. Paddock bought. “We have cooperated with local and federal authorities,” he said....
Where did he fly to and why? Two private planes is not a small investment. He had to maintain them and why two? In case the other needed maintenance and his flight was urgent?
...Mr. Paddock had a private pilot’s license, according to Federal Aviation Administration, and had two small single-engine planes registered in his name. There are no records of Mr. Paddock having served in the military....
3 October 2017
KEY POINTS: (click here)
- At least 58 dead, 515 hurt as gunman opens fire from 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort
- Gunman Stephen Paddock kills himself as police storm hotel room
- Isis claims responsibility but police say no evidence of any link to international terrorism
- US president Donald Trump describes slaughter as 'act of pure evil'
I am sure Donald Trump knows what evil is all about. Any chance Paddock knew Bundy?
A gunman perched on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel-casino unleashed a hail of bullets on an outdoor country music festival below, killing at least 58 people as tens of thousands of concertgoers screamed and ran for their lives. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
At least 515 others were injured in the Sunday night attack, authorities said....
October 3, 2017
Denise Salmon Burditus pictured with her husband Tony at the festival just 13hrs ago.
The first victims (click here) of the horrific Las Vegas shooting that left 58 dead and more than 500 injured have been identified.
Sonny Melton, 29, Jordan McIldoon, 23, Quinton Robbins, 20, and Denise Salmon Burditus were killed when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on 22,000 people at a country music concert.
Melton was watching country music star Jason Aldean at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas Village with his wife when Paddock opened fire.
"At this point, I'm in complete disbelief and despair. I don't know what to say. Sonny was the most kind-hearted, loving man I have ever met. He saved my life and lost his," Heather Gulish Melton said...
Where is the gun range where he practiced?
...Christopher Sullivan, general manager of Guns & Guitars, a gun store in Mesquite, confirmed that Mr. Paddock bought three guns at his shop within the last year — a handgun and two rifles. All the purchases were legal and cleared routine federal screening, Mr. Sullivan said.
“The man does not have a criminal history,” he said of Mr. Paddock.
Mr. Sullivan, who said he had been contacted by the F.B.I. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, declined to provide detailed descriptions of the guns Mr. Paddock bought. “We have cooperated with local and federal authorities,” he said....
Where did he fly to and why? Two private planes is not a small investment. He had to maintain them and why two? In case the other needed maintenance and his flight was urgent?
...Mr. Paddock had a private pilot’s license, according to Federal Aviation Administration, and had two small single-engine planes registered in his name. There are no records of Mr. Paddock having served in the military....
3 October 2017
KEY POINTS: (click here)
- At least 58 dead, 515 hurt as gunman opens fire from 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay Resort
- Gunman Stephen Paddock kills himself as police storm hotel room
- Isis claims responsibility but police say no evidence of any link to international terrorism
- US president Donald Trump describes slaughter as 'act of pure evil'
I am sure Donald Trump knows what evil is all about. Any chance Paddock knew Bundy?
A gunman perched on the 32nd floor of a Las Vegas hotel-casino unleashed a hail of bullets on an outdoor country music festival below, killing at least 58 people as tens of thousands of concertgoers screamed and ran for their lives. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern US history.
At least 515 others were injured in the Sunday night attack, authorities said....
Denise Salmon Burditus pictured with her husband Tony at the festival just 13hrs ago.
The first victims (click here) of the horrific Las Vegas shooting that left 58 dead and more than 500 injured have been identified.
Sonny Melton, 29, Jordan McIldoon, 23, Quinton Robbins, 20, and Denise Salmon Burditus were killed when 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on 22,000 people at a country music concert.
Melton was watching country music star Jason Aldean at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas Village with his wife when Paddock opened fire.
"At this point, I'm in complete disbelief and despair. I don't know what to say. Sonny was the most kind-hearted, loving man I have ever met. He saved my life and lost his," Heather Gulish Melton said...
Any chance Paddock was a dyed in the wool Christian? Just sayin'.
Jason Aldean songs (click here) are some of the most popular in contemporary country music. The country superstar has built an enormously successful career around his rockin’ country sound, which emphasizes up-tempo, fun songs about the country lifestyle.
That’s not to say that Aldean doesn’t have his softer side. Though he doesn’t show it often, he’s capable of some gentler ballads, too, balancing out his party-hearty persona with a dose of heartache and romance here and there.
But it is the more raucous songs that have built his brand as one of the leading male country artists of his generation, capable of filling the largest concert arenas and even stadiums. The Boot takes a look at the best of his best with this list of the Top 10 Jason Aldean Songs....
Aldean's current wife is Brittany Kerr.
Sealed with a kiss: (click here) Country music star Jason Aldean, who is married with two children, can be seen kissing former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr; both have since issued public apologies
April 25, 2013
By Stephen L. Betts
Seven months (click here) after admitting to fans that he “acted inappropriately” with former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr, country superstar Jason Aldean and his wife, Jessica Ussery, have separated, according to Us Weekly.
Aldean's current wife is Brittany Kerr.Sealed with a kiss: (click here) Country music star Jason Aldean, who is married with two children, can be seen kissing former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr; both have since issued public apologies
April 25, 2013
By Stephen L. Betts
Seven months (click here) after admitting to fans that he “acted inappropriately” with former American Idol contestant Brittany Kerr, country superstar Jason Aldean and his wife, Jessica Ussery, have separated, according to Us Weekly.
A source reveals to the publication that the couple has been apart since January. “There were obvious problems before the bar kiss, but he finally left earlier this year,” the source alleges, noting that Jessica did not attend the ACM Awards with her husband earlier this month.
“I can confirm that Jason and his wife are having problems, but there is nothing more to share at this time,” a rep for the singer tells Us Weekly. “It’s a private family matter, and we hope everyone will respect that he would like to keep it that way.”
The couple, who have been together since high school, and married for 11 years, are parents to two young daughters, Keeley and Kendyl. During a joint appearance on CBS This Morning, last November, Jason and Jessica acknowledged the sometimes rocky road they’ve navigated together....
Sincerest sympathies to all family and friends of those effected by this mindless killing.
A submachine gun. People who intend to kill many people at a time can find modification kits online. This is the USA where guns can be all one expects them to be.
Who is this guy? A lone wolf was responsible for the DC shooting, too.
October 2, 2017
This is stated to be the first picture of the shooter. Who is he affiliated with. Gun clubs. Organizations.
A gunman (click here) opened fire on an outdoor country music concert near Mandalay Bay late Sunday, killing at least 50 people, injuring more than 200 and sending the Las Vegas Strip into chaos.
Who is this guy? A lone wolf was responsible for the DC shooting, too.
This is stated to be the first picture of the shooter. Who is he affiliated with. Gun clubs. Organizations.
A gunman (click here) opened fire on an outdoor country music concert near Mandalay Bay late Sunday, killing at least 50 people, injuring more than 200 and sending the Las Vegas Strip into chaos.
The massacre is believed to be the worst mass shooting in United States history.
One off-duty Las Vegas police officer attending the concert was among the victims killed.
The suspect, Stephen Paddock, 64, was killed by police on a high-level hotel floor at Mandalay Bay, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said early Monday. He said police believed they had located Marilou Danley, a person of interest associated with Paddock.
Police also found two vehicles, a Hyundai Tucson, Nevada license plate 114 B40, and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring, Nevada license plate 79D 401....
Two women accused of poisoning (click here) the estranged half brother of North Korea's ruler in a brazen airport assassination eight month ago have pleaded not guilty at the start of their trial in Malaysia's High Court.
Siti Aisyah of Indonesia and Doan Thi Huong of Vietnam are accused smearing Kim Jong Nam's face with the banned VX nerve agent on February 13 at a crowded airport terminal in Kuala Lumpur, killing him within about 20 minutes.
The women have previously said they thought they were playing a harmless prank for a hidden-camera show. They face the death penalty if convicted.
Prosecutors will then start to call their witnesses, with the first few likely to be medical experts to establish the cause of death, said Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Huong's lawyer....
I think the global community is getting better at the intercept. Congratulations.
October 2, 2017
Last August, (click here) a secret message was passed from Washington to Cairo warning about a mysterious vessel steaming toward the Suez Canal. The bulk freighter named Jie Shun was flying Cambodian colours but had sailed from North Korea, the warning said, with a North Korean crew and an unknown cargo shrouded by heavy tarps.
Armed with this tip, customs agents were waiting when the ship entered Egyptian waters. They swarmed the vessel and discovered, concealed under bins of iron ore, a cache of more than 30,000 rocket-propelled grenades. It was, as a United Nations report later concluded, the "largest seizure of ammunition in the history of sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea."
But who were the rockets for? The Jie Shun's final secret would take months to resolve and would yield perhaps the biggest surprise of all: The buyers were the Egyptians themselves.
A UN investigation uncovered a complex arrangement in which Egyptian business executives ordered millions of dollars worth of North Korean rockets for the country's military while also taking pains to keep the transaction hidden, according to US. officials and Western diplomats familiar with the findings....
...North Korea's booming illicit arms trade is an outgrowth of a legitimate business that began decades ago. In the 1960s and '70s, the Soviet Union gave away conventional weapons - and, in some cases, entire factories for producing them - to developing countries as a way of winning allies and creating markets for Soviet military technology. Many of these client states would standardise the use of communist-bloc munitions and weapons systems in their armies, thus ensuring a steady demand for replacement parts and ammunition that would continue well into the future.
Sensing an opportunity, North Korea obtained licenses to manufacture replicas of Soviet and Chinese weapons, ranging from assault rifles and artillery rockets to naval frigates and battle tanks. Arms factories sprouted in the 1960s that soon produced enough weapons to supply North Korea's vast military, as well as a surplus that could be sold for cash.
By the end of the Cold War, North Korea's customer base spanned four continents and included dozens of countries, as well as armed insurgencies. The demand for discount North Korean weapons would continue long after the Soviet Union collapsed, and even after North Korea came under international censure and economic isolation because of its nuclear weapons program, said Andrea Berger, a North Korea specialist and senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, California.
"Good Night, Moon"
11 day old moon
84.9 percent lit
September 29, 2017
By Ben Burress
On September 22, (click here) a spaceship visited Earth—NASA can confirm that it wasn’t alien property. It was NASA’s own OSIRIS-REx probe, swinging by Earth in a gravitational “slingshot” maneuver designed to fling it toward a 2018 rendezvous with an asteroid named Bennu.
The spacecraft will become NASA’s first mission ever to visit an asteroid, collect samples of its ancient materials, and return them to Earth for laboratory analysis.
More than merely an asteroid-dust collector, however, this mission aims to give scientists a clearer understanding of the formation of the solar system, the Earth, and the origin of life on our planet.
Launched on September 8, 2016, OSIRIS-REx —which stands for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security-Regolith Explorer—will arrive at Bennu in August 2018, where it will map the asteroid’s surface in detail, and then graze to within a few meters of its surface to collect dust samples. It will then head back to Earth for an expected return in 2023....
Sunday, October 01, 2017
When I stepped into environmental activism it was to protect my family and the future.
I never thought I'd see the day when my family has to revisit the same activism that protected them so far. Really, Scott? Amazing. The USA is crying at the shame of this DC administration.
Next week "Hazard Waste."
September 20, 2017
By Anya Khalamayzer
Creating great products (click here) is any company's goal, but to those that think long-term about their value, making a profit "means nothing" unless they scale production in a way that doesn't harm consumers and the environment, said attendees at a circular economy summit during VERGE 17.
The circular economy, which moves away from the take-make-dispose system of "business as usual" and infuses manufacturer's material streams with recycled goods, is the mechanism that will allow companies to achieve this goal.
There are still massive barriers to implementing the circular economy as "business as usual," and it will require pulling a company's full value chain on board, said the panelists, meeting under Chatham House Rule. For example, the chemical processes that allow polymers to be dissolved and recirculated are still expensive to implement — and may have hidden health risks.
Getting into "full circularity at once isn't likely," said an attendee from an environmental nonprofit. Finding and optimizing the pipeline of circular opportunities means using the levers of technology, policy and investment from the consumer goods sector.
Here are five major challenges to proliferating the use of reclaimed goods, and the opportunities that may arise from them — because, essentially, circular thinking is about finding jewels in a waste stream.
- American recycling facilities must up the ante
- Don't depend on consumers
- The devil is in the details
- Everyone must be on board
- Build trust
Next week "Hazard Waste."
September 20, 2017
By Anya Khalamayzer
Creating great products (click here) is any company's goal, but to those that think long-term about their value, making a profit "means nothing" unless they scale production in a way that doesn't harm consumers and the environment, said attendees at a circular economy summit during VERGE 17.
The circular economy, which moves away from the take-make-dispose system of "business as usual" and infuses manufacturer's material streams with recycled goods, is the mechanism that will allow companies to achieve this goal.
There are still massive barriers to implementing the circular economy as "business as usual," and it will require pulling a company's full value chain on board, said the panelists, meeting under Chatham House Rule. For example, the chemical processes that allow polymers to be dissolved and recirculated are still expensive to implement — and may have hidden health risks.
Getting into "full circularity at once isn't likely," said an attendee from an environmental nonprofit. Finding and optimizing the pipeline of circular opportunities means using the levers of technology, policy and investment from the consumer goods sector.
Here are five major challenges to proliferating the use of reclaimed goods, and the opportunities that may arise from them — because, essentially, circular thinking is about finding jewels in a waste stream.
- American recycling facilities must up the ante
- Don't depend on consumers
- The devil is in the details
- Everyone must be on board
- Build trust
Real dangers and real rules. The rules are written because of a methodology to classify dangers.
...The place where the chemical originates is called the source. Chemicals can enter the environment from many different sources such as landfills, incinerators, tanks, drums, or factories. Human exposure to hazardous chemicals can occur at the source or the chemical could move to a place where people can come into contact with it. Chemicals can move through air, soil, and water. They can also be on plants or animals, and can get into the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.
The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways. There are three basic exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Inhalation is breathing or inhaling into the lungs. Ingestion is taking something in by mouth. Skin contact occurs when something comes in direct contact with the skin. Ingestion can be a secondary exposure pathway after skin contact has occurred, if you put your hands in your mouth and transfer the chemical from your hands to your mouth....
...Water
Exposure can occur when people drink contaminated groundwater or surface water, or accidentally ingest it while swimming or showering. Direct skin contact also is an exposure pathway that occurs during activities like swimming and showering. For more information about water and hazardous chemicals, view the MDNR, CDC and EPA websites.
Soil, Sediment, or Dust.
People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals in soil, sediment, or dust if they accidentally ingest it, breathe it in, or have direct skin contact. Children are highly susceptible to these exposure pathways. In their daily activities, children have a tendency to have frequent hand-to-mouth contact and introduce non-food items into their mouths. For more information about hazardous substances, view the EPA webpages.
Air
Exposure can occur when people breathe in hazardous chemical vapors or air that is contaminated by hazardous chemicals or dust. More information is available about chemicals in the air at the websites of MDNR, CDC and EPA.
Food
People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals through the food they eat. Food contamination can occur if the food has come into contact with hazardous chemicals. It can also occur further down the food chain such as through eating contaminated fish. For more information, see the DHSS fish advisory
The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways. There are three basic exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact. Inhalation is breathing or inhaling into the lungs. Ingestion is taking something in by mouth. Skin contact occurs when something comes in direct contact with the skin. Ingestion can be a secondary exposure pathway after skin contact has occurred, if you put your hands in your mouth and transfer the chemical from your hands to your mouth....
...Water
Exposure can occur when people drink contaminated groundwater or surface water, or accidentally ingest it while swimming or showering. Direct skin contact also is an exposure pathway that occurs during activities like swimming and showering. For more information about water and hazardous chemicals, view the MDNR, CDC and EPA websites.
Soil, Sediment, or Dust.
People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals in soil, sediment, or dust if they accidentally ingest it, breathe it in, or have direct skin contact. Children are highly susceptible to these exposure pathways. In their daily activities, children have a tendency to have frequent hand-to-mouth contact and introduce non-food items into their mouths. For more information about hazardous substances, view the EPA webpages.
Air
Exposure can occur when people breathe in hazardous chemical vapors or air that is contaminated by hazardous chemicals or dust. More information is available about chemicals in the air at the websites of MDNR, CDC and EPA.
Food
People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals through the food they eat. Food contamination can occur if the food has come into contact with hazardous chemicals. It can also occur further down the food chain such as through eating contaminated fish. For more information, see the DHSS fish advisory
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