WHY ARE  WE BANKRUPT? 

The Costs of Illegal Immigration total is a whopping $ 338.3 BILLION DOLLARS A YEAR AND IF YOU'RE LIKE ME HAVING TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY; IT IS $338,300,000,000.00 WHICH WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STIMULATE THE ECONOMY FOR THE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY. 

The Mystery of the Forgotten U.S. Flag Revealed.

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August 2009 Headlines
neither right, nor left, liberal nor conservative
open to submissions from all sides but mostly seeking 'truth'

8/31/09

2 U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan Bombs killed four NATO troops Monday — two Americans and two Britons — ending the deadliest month of the war for U.S. forces as the top NATO commander called for a new strategy to confront the Taliban.The U.S. military said the two Americans were killed in separate explosions in southern Afghanistan but gave no further details. Their deaths brought to 47 the number of U.S. troops who have died in the Afghan war in August — three more than in July which had been the deadliest month.

Independent Investigation Into Pentagon Attack Yields Alarming Information A three year independent investigation into the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon has yielded new eyewitness evidence which, according to the Southern California-based researchers who conducted the investigation, “conclusively (and unfortunately) establishes as a historical fact that the violence which took place in Arlington that day was not the result of a surprise attack by suicide hijackers, but rather a military black operation involving a carefully planned and skillfully executed deception.”

BUSH'S LEGACY OF SHAME BEGAN WITH 9/11 We all know who authorized illegal torture in the Bush administration. It was Darth Vader himself, Dick Cheney ~ and his trusted accomplice Donald Rumsfeld ~ who were intent on masking their treasonous actions on 9/11 by the means of forced confessions of highly questionable, if not innocent, Muslim suspects: Allen L Roland 

Deadly Station wildfire grows overnight it has killed two firefighters and doubled in size to 85,000 acres!

In the Mother Lode, a new gold rush A Canadian company wants to reopen a mine in a part of California that has long attracted fortune hunters.

Cheney(with a snarl) lashes out at Obama administrationReporting from Washington - Former Vice President Dick Cheney lashed out at President Obama on Sunday, saying the Justice Department's decision to investigate whether CIA operatives broke the law while interrogating terrorism suspects was politically motivated and dangerous to national security. "I just think it's an outrageous political act that will do great damage long-term to our capacity to be able to have people take on difficult jobs, make difficult decisions, without having to worry about what the next administration is going to say," Cheney said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday." (or get in the way of keeping things 'hidden' of what has been done, is being done and can be done !!)

8/30/09

Wildfire threatens TV transmitters Flames are approaching the historic solar observatory and towers that house transmitters for every major television station in Los Angeles, fire officials say. | Mt. Wilson webcam

ACLU Lobbyist Larry Frankel Found Dead in Washington Longtime Pennsylvania ACLU lobbyist and Executive Director Larry Frankel, who in the last year or so has become the lobbyist for the national ACLU, has apparently been found dead in Washington under mysterious circumstances. Larry was 54. This is a breaking news story in which most key facts are still generally unknown.

'Treacherous' fire bears down on Acton Some residents in La Cañada and parts of Glendale are cleared to return. But about 6,000 homes across the 19-mile fire line remain under an evacuation order.

Station fire likely to hit historic Mt. Wilson observatory, fire officials say

Know the enemy...Meet the people who educate your children about food choices

Gov. urges residents to flee evacuation areas

Photo gallery of the fires in L.A. by locals

Grandpappy's Basic Acorn Recipes Acorn Information, Identification, Processing, and Recipes. The common, ordinary acorn is one of the ancient foods of mankind. The first mention of acorns for human consumption was by the Greeks over 2,000 years ago. Over the course of human history it has been estimated that people have eaten more acorns than both wheat and rice combined. The acorn has served as an important famine food for many centuries. Acorns may be eaten alone or in a wide variety of acorn recipes.

Female Sterilization in Puerto Rico There are a number of examples in post Civil War America of eugenic programs but none as effective and widespread as the mass female sterilization in Puerto Rico. Beginning in the years following WW I, a program was initiated by the United States government, the medical community and the local government of Puerto Rico, to name a few, which resulted in the unprecedented sterilization of 1/3 of the female population by 1965, and the continued use of sterilization on a broad scale by Puerto Rican women as a form of birth control (Presser 1980)

Former Israeli prime minister Olmert indicted Israeli authorities indicted former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on corruption charges Sunday, the first criminal indictment ever filed against a current or past Israeli prime minister.

Michael Jackson (un)timley death The video you won't see on the endless restrospectives. A convenient death. Clearly, before he died, Jackson had made a definite shift from pure entertainment to entertainment with a strong social statement component - and his commentary was not flattering to the powers that be.

Los Angeles: 35,000 acres burned, more homes threatened Firefighters are predicting another difficult battle today as they try to prevent a wildfire that has already burned 35,000 acres from destroying more homes along a massive front that extends from Acton near the Antelope Valley to Altadena in the San Gabriel Valley. More evacuations.

Levee fraud, firemen witnesses told to shut up! Here's how the "investigation" went.....A more little truth leaks out, A shocking fact: The feds knew the levees had broken - and did not tell the people on the ground for HOURS.

Fired From $105,000 Job For Emailing A Rense.com Story Jeff, I have such a treasured appreciation for you and for the real, investigative journalism and interviews you conduct.  I live in Minneapolis.  I was let go from my job (of TEN years) at Target Corp, Marketing over an article from rense.com which I e-mailed to a subordinate at work.

8/29/09

1991 kidnap suspect known as 'Creepy Phil'

Mexican Flu Outbreak 2009: SPECIAL REPORT by Dr Leonard Horowitz

Makers Of Vaccination Refuse To Take H1N1 vid Even scientists who helped develop the vaccine say THEY ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT AND URGE THEIR FRIENDS AND FAMILY NOT TO TAKE IT EITHER, says Wayne Madsen, an investigative journalist and RT contributor.

Mosier tensions mount as fire grows A wildfire estimated at 800 acres late Friday is threatening the town of Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge. Gov. Ted Kulongoski declared a conflagration, allowing nearby counties and other agencies to send reinforcements to fight the flames from land and air. Power was cut off, and some roads and trails in the area were closed.

BREAKING!: Two Students Murdered: Virginia Tech Campus Witness To Murder Again Another murder is said to have struck the Virginia Tech Campus, when authorities discovered the bodies of two slain students on Thursday. Both have been identified to be Virginia Tech University students. The bodies of the slain victims were found at a campground in the Jefferson National Forest, which is reported to be quite a popular hangout for students. The two bodies have been identified to be those of 19 year old David Lee Metzler (hailing from Lynchburg) and 18 year old Heidi Lynn Childs (from Forest).

8/28/09

Wake Up, America: Forced vaccinations, quarantine camps, health care interrogations and mandatory "decontaminations" A new law passed by the state Senate in Massachusetts calls for mandatory vaccinations of all citizens and a $1,000 / day fine for those who refuse to cooperate. It also legalizes health care "interrogations" of Mass. citizens, forced entry into homes without a warrant, the on-site destruction of buildings or objects suspected of harboring the virus, the government kidnapping of family pets, "involuntary transportation" of people into quarantine camps and much more. (check out story at Natural News!)

Anchor Babies - In Conclusion... The Educational Chaos Part 4 - Fomenting Failure In Our Educational Systems. In this final entry of this series on Anchor Babies in America, we shall investigate the unbelievable but verifiable costs to American citizens. Additionally, we will explore ancillary problems created by illegal alien children within our classrooms across the country.

Michael Jackson died of 'acute propofol intoxication,' coroner says The Los Angeles County coroner's office officially ruled the death of Michael Jackson a homicide and said he died of "acute propofol intoxication."

BREAKING: Fire evacuations are underway in La Canada Flintridge [Updated] The Station fire prompted authorities Thursday night to begin evacuating residents in La Cañada Flintridge neighborhoods near Angeles Crest Highway.The evacuations were underway along Vista del Valle Road east of La Cañada Boulevard, the U.S. Forest Service said. An evacution center has been set up at La Crescenta High School.The blaze, which has consumed more than 500 acres of dry chaparral, reversed direction along one flank and turned toward residential areas earlier Thursday.[Updated at 10:56 p.m.: The fire has moved within three-quarters of a mile from neighborhoods in La Cañada Flintridge, where about 500 homes are under mandatory evacuation, the U.S. Forest Service said.]

Thousands greet Kennedy motorcade, file past casket Crowds line the route from Hyannis Port, Mass., through the streets of Boston to mourn and cheer the late senator. Many wait to pay tribute as he lies in repose at his brother's presidential library.

Stepdad: Girl held 18 years enjoys 'happy' reunion PLACERVILLE, Calif. – A man suspected of snatching an 11-year-old girl and hiding her for nearly two decades in his backyard faced a Friday court appearance, as the woman's family reunited with their daughter and met the two children fathered by her alleged abductor. Jaycee Lee Dugard, who was 11 when she was abducted from a South Lake Tahoe street in 1991, was kept behind a series of fences, sheds and tents, even giving birth to her suspected abductor's children in the suburban backyard compound less than 200 miles from her childhood home.

8/27/09

Statins Cause Serious Structural Muscle Damage (NaturalNews) If there is a super star in Big Pharma's list of money making drugs, it may well be the group of medications known as statins. The New York Times reported last year that statins are, in fact, the biggest selling drugs in the world. Their names, like Lipitor and Crestor, are familiar from countless television and magazine ads and almost everyone knows someone taking a statin. Promoted widely as safe, they are actually known to cause a litany of potential side effects. For example, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) web site notes that about one in 1,000 of those taking statins suffer from muscle pain. Usually, these aches go away. But not always. And now new research shows that in some people statins cause serious structural damage to muscles.

Angeles National Forest fire threatens ranger station Flames from a wildfire above La Cañada Flintridge changed direction Thursday night and were threatening the Angeles Crest Ranger Station, officials said. The so-called Station fire in the Angeles National Forest was burning north toward remote areas, but one of its flanks reversed direction and was heading down a steep canyon toward the station and several surrounding structures, the U.S. Forest Service said.

Two new brush fires erupt in L.A., Riverside counties A Palos Verdes Peninsula brush fire Thursday burned at least one structure and threatened several others, prompting officials to order evacuations in the Portuguese Bend area. The fire, which has charred about 30 acres, is one of two new wildfires that erupted Thursday in Southern California.

Portland Community Gardens Program named Oregon Solutions project Gov. Ted Kulongoski has designated the Portland Bureau of Parks & Recreation Community Gardens Program as an official Oregon Solutions project, Portland Mayor Sam Adams and Parks Commissioner Nick Fish announced Wednesday. Projects with this title are considered a high priority for the state because of their focus on sustainability and community involvement.

S pop songwriter Greenwich dies American songwriter Ellie Greenwich, who penned River Deep, Mountain High and other hits, has died, aged 68. In a 50-year career, she was awarded some 25 gold and platinum discs. She collaborated with Phil Spector on Chapel of Love and Da Doo Ron Ron. She wrote Leader of the Pack with her ex-husband, which became the basis for a Broadway musical based on her life.

Final journey begins for Ted Kennedy
Reporting from Hyannis Port, Mass., and Boston - The motorcade carrying the body of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy left his Cape Cod home this afternoon, the first leg of the liberal icon's journey to his final resting place near his assassinated brothers.

Woman abducted 18 years ago in South Lake Tahoe has been found [updated] A 29-year-old woman abducted from South Lake Tahoe as a child 18 years ago has been found, and a couple has been arrested in connection with the case, authorities said today.Jaycee Dugard walked into the office of the Concord, Calif., Police Department on Wednesday, about 200 miles from where she was abducted, said Lt. Les Lovell of the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department.

Ex-LAUSD assistant principal pleads no contest to molestations, gets 8 years in prison [Updated] Steven Thomas Rooney, a former assistant principal with the Los Angeles Unified School District pleaded no contest this morning to four counts of child molestation in a case that highlighted deficiencies in how school officials dealt with their problem employees.

Suicidal planet seems on death spiral into star Astronomers have found what appears to be a gigantic suicidal planet.The odd, fiery planet is so close to its star and so large that it is triggering tremendous plasma tides on the star. Those powerful tides are in turn warping the planet's zippy less-than-a-day orbit around its star.The result: an ever-closer tango of death, with the planet eventually spiraling into the star.

McCain speaks with angry crowd at Ariz. town hall PHOENIX – Sen. John McCain met with an angry crowd at a town-hall meeting about health care reform Wednesday, sometimes having to fight to talk and telling one woman who wouldn't stop yelling that she had to leave.

8/26/09

Oil find sparks new hope for Uganda's people On the remote western edge of Uganda the land suddenly drops down into the western arm of the Great Rift Valley to reveal the vast expanse of Lake Albert and the blue mountains of Congo beyond. Hippos and marabou storks wander the shoreline near the tiny fishing villages whose hauls of Nile perch, tilapia, catfish and white herring sustain the local economy. But now there are new, less natural features marking the landscape, ones that could change the course of the country.

Smoke from wildfire causing unhealthy air quality in L.A. Basin [Updated] Smoke from a wildfire burning in the Angeles National Forest blanketed much of L.A. County today, seeping into cars and offices as people began their workday and causing itchy eyes, runny noses and sneezing. Public health officials said air quality is unhealthy throughout the county, and the top health officer recommended people take precautions when going outdoors.

There Are More Slaves Today Than at Any Time in Human History The world suffers global recession, enormous inequity, hunger, deforestation, pollution, climate change, nuclear weapons, terrorism, etc. To those who say we’re not really making progress, many might point to the fact that at least we’ve eliminated slavery. But sadly that is not the truth.

BREAKING: Sen. Edward Kennedy dies at 77; 'liberal lion of the Senate' .The Massachusetts Democrat was the last surviving brother of a legendary political family. He was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2008.Kennedy had been in declining health since having a seizure in May 2008. Subsequent tests determined that he had a malignant brain tumor.

8/25/09

S names secret terror suspects The US military has begun notifying the Red Cross of the identities of terror suspects being held at secret camps in Iraq and Afghanistan, reports say.

Government (And Car Dealers) Hose You Again But many of those cashing in on the clunkers program are surprised when they get to the treasurer's office windows. That's because the government's rebate of up to $4500 dollars for every clunker is taxable.

Brush fire burning in Angeles National Forest, prompting campground evacuations [Updated] A fast-moving brush fire has broken out in Angeles National Forest near Highway 39, prompting evacuations of some campgrounds.The fire broke out about 4:40 p.m. along San Gabriel Canyon Road near Morris Dam. KABC Channel 7 showed firefighters battling tall flames on a ridge off Highway 39, which is closed in both directions.

Seesaw Senate seats Ted Kennedy's contradictory replacement request underscores the need for interim appointments.

News on federal deficit likely to be used against Obama's agenda The administration now projects that the U.S. will run a $9-trillion deficit over the next decade -- $2 trillion more than estimated earlier. Republicans again say healthcare reform is too expensive.

Chinese Copper Stockpiling Screeches to a Halt Imports Drop 15% By Eric Roseman ..Copper is widely viewed as a forward leading indicator. Copper prices can generally decipher the health of the global economy, as it is one of the leading commodity inputs for global manufacturing and infrastructure development. So goes copper, so goes the global economy.

Quittin' Time in Afghanistan An election held under the guns of a foreign occupation army cannot be called legitimate or democratic. This week's stage-managed vote in Afghanistan for candidates chosen by western powers is unlikely to bring either peace or tranquility to this wretched nation that has suffered 30 years of war. The Taliban and its nationalist allies rejected the vote as a fraud designed to validate continued foreign occupation and open the way for western oil and gas pipelines.
The Taliban, which speaks for many of Afghanistan's majority Pashtun, said it would only join a national election when U.S. and NATO troops withdraw.

Article about organ harvesting sparks Israel-Sweden tiff Sweden, citing a right to free expression, refuses to condemn suggestions that Israeli troops harvested the organs of dead Palestinians. Israel says the article could incite violence against Jews.Lena Posner, head of the Jewish community in Stockholm, told Israel's Ynet news website that Israel had blown an obscure article out of proportion and caused a backlash. "In Sweden, as in Israel, freedom of expression is sacred," she said. "Everyone in Sweden cannot understand how Israel dares to interfere."

Article about organ harvesting sparks Israel-SwedenAn Israeli comes to the painful conclusion that it's the only way to save his country.

Oregon dairy farmer culling his herd as prices slump GRANTS PASS, Ore. -- After 42 years in the dairy business, Delmer Brink is calling it quits."This is the worst year I've ever seen," said Brink, who owns 70 acres along what some locals call "dairy row." Depressed milk prices worldwide, plus an inability to compete with larger operations in the Willamette Valley and in other Western states, have already led two of Brink's neighbors to reduce their herds and refocus efforts on higher-value crops -- Bob Crouse to the east and Cecil Waldron to the west. A number of years ago, Brink adopted sustainable practices for his dairy, feeding cows natural products and not feeding them growth hormones that stimulate milk production.Two years ago, during those dairy boom years, Cecil Waldron got an offer he couldn't refuse, so he sold off his herd to other organic farmers. He is raising vegetables on his land and has plans. His wife owns Rogue Valley Fudge Shop in downtown Grants Pass, and Waldron thinks his cows could provide butter for the candy. He'd also like to pasteurize some of the milk, bottle it and sell it.

Fed Must Release Reports on Emergency Bank Loans, Judge Says The Federal Reserve must make records about emergency lending to financial institutions public within five days because it failed to convince a judge the documents should be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. ...(and I thought 'we' were promised 'transparency'.....and it is OUR MONEY!) The Fed has refused to name the borrowers, the amounts of loans or the assets put up as collateral under 11 programs, saying that doing so might set off a run by depositors and unsettle shareholders. Bloomberg LP, the New York-based company majority-owned by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, sued Nov. 7 on behalf of its Bloomberg News unit.

Human Likely Killed Neanderthal, Weapons Test Shows A Neanderthal man who lived as recently as 50,000 years ago may have been killed by a modern human armed with an advanced projectile weapon, a new study suggests. If confirmed, the Paleolithic "murder" would be the first compelling case for an anatomically modern human using a weapon against a member of the extinct human species.

California mortgage delinquencies expected to rise through 2009 TransUnion expects the percentage of California home loans that are at least 60 days late or are in foreclosure to skyrocket to more than 14% by year-end.

Desert Hot Springs is fighting for its life Reporting from Desert Hot Springs - For years, Donna Lozano badgered the Desert Hot Springs Police, public officials and anyone else who would listen, trying to get information about her son's killer.

8/24/09

Madoff dying of cancer, fellow inmates say-NY Post Bernard Madoff, convicted of swindling $65 billion through the biggest-ever Ponzi scheme, has told fellow prison inmates that he is dying of cancer, the New York Post reported on Monday, citing unnamed prison sources.

8/23/09

Millions face shrinking Social Security payments Millions of older people face shrinking Social Security checks next year, the first time in a generation that payments would not rise.The trustees who oversee Social Security are projecting there won't be a cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were adopted in 1975.By law, Social Security benefits cannot go down. Nevertheless, monthly payments would drop for millions of people in the Medicare prescription drug program because the premiums, which often are deducted from Social Security payments, are scheduled to go up slightly.

Antibiotic Resistance at Factory Farms "Scares the Hell Out of" Johns Hopkins Scientists I don't like it when scientists feel the need to explain that they're scared out of their wits, or use exclamation marks. I also get a little nervous when they say stuff like, "We're such a dumb species, we don't deserve to survive on this planet" because of the great lengths we're going to just to kill ourselves off. Nevertheless, I was glued to this shocking piece called simply "Farmacology" in the most recent issue of John Hopkins Magazine on the devastating effects of low level, non-therapeutic antibiotics in industrial agriculture. It turns out they're making more than just broilers and bacon on your local factory farm; they're growing germs that are resistant to antibiotics. And don't think your commitment to organics or vegetarianism will save you: Your exposure to these superbugs could depend on actions as innocuous as driving behind a truck bound for a Tyson slaughterhous

8/22/09

Megrahi: my life ruined by the shadow of wrong verdict It was the personal plea of a dying man who felt he had surrendered to the "wrongness" of his conviction.

New Zealand Votes to Legalize Smacking Kids New Zealanders voted overwhelmingly to overturn a law that prohibits parents from hitting children, according to the results of a nationwide referendum released Friday, but the government says the law is working and won't be changed.Opponents of the 2007 law claim it is overly intrusive and could turn thousands of good parents into criminals.

Mountaintop Mining Legacy: Destroying Appalachian Streams The environmental damage caused by mountaintop removal mining across Appalachia has been well documented. But scientists are now beginning to understand that the mining operations’ most lasting damage may be caused by the massive amounts of debris dumped into valley streams.

Greek firefighters continue to battle widespread blazes Greek firefighters planned to continue to work through the night to contain dozens of wildfires, including a massive blaze outside Athens, authorities said.The fires began late Friday in Grammatiko, 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of the capital, said journalist Anthee Carassava. Wind whipped a single blaze into three fires, which joined again Saturday. No injuries were reported.Officials said it was the worst fire on the mainland since forest fires in the same area burned in 2007, killing at least 65 people

Saudi families square up over $20bn 'fraud' A Saudi billionaire with stakes in some of Britain's biggest companies is at the centre of a multi-billion-dollar fraud that threatens to send financial shock-waves around the world, a New York judge will hear this week

Controlling the Ranching Boom That Threatens the Amazon Clearing land for cattle is responsible for 80 percent of rainforest loss in the Brazilian Amazon. But with Amazon ranching now a multi-billion dollar business, corporate buyers of beef and leather, including Wal-Mart, are starting to demand that the destruction of the forest be halted.

Kidney dialysis machine 'small enough to be worn as a belt' Scientists have developed a kidney dialysis machine small enough to be worn as a belt which can allow patients to receive the treatment as they walk around.

Zimbabwe - Of Swine Flu And Flying Pigs

The 911 WTC 'Traces Of Tritium' Lie Is A Crime The 911 WTC "Traces of Tritium" Lie Is Obstruction of Justice by Accessories to Murder  This is not 'rocket science', just basic math, law and lies. 

Hurricane Bill weakens as it nears USA A weakening Hurricane Bill spun northward Saturday, churning up rough seas, creating dangerous rip tides and closing beaches to swimmers up and down the eastern seaboard, including President Obama's planned vacation spot, Martha's Vineyard.The Category 1 hurricane was expected to pass the mainland well off New England, but was still packing high winds and waves that had safety officials urging extreme caution

Lebanese man is target of first rendition under Obama Contractor Raymond Azar is arrested in Afghanistan, hooded, stripped and flown to the U.S. His alleged crime? Bribery. A human rights activist calls the case 'bizarre.'

Americans Are Serfs Ruled By Oligarchs Americans think that they have "freedom and democracy" and that politicians are held accountable by elections. The fact of the matter is that the US is ruled by powerful interest groups who control politicians with campaign contributions.

Mercury found in all fish at 300 US streams A study of mercury contamination has found the toxic substance in every fish tested at nearly 300 streams across the US.The finding underscores how widespread mercury pollution has become

Stop prescribing killer diabetes drug, scientists warn Rosiglitazone, brand name Avandia, has higher rates of heart failure and death than similar alternative. Scientists say doctors should stop prescribing a commonly used diabetes drug, after studies show that it is linked to higher rates of heart failure and death than a similar alternative

The limits of US influence With rising debt and a stretched military, America is no longer a superpower. Its promises to aid allies overseas ring hollow

Marketing Drugs to Kids: From Cheese to Strawberry Quick Something called “cheese” is killing kids. In August of 2005, no one had even heard of it — so much so, that when a school district police officer first saw a bag of this drug, he thought it was fake. Now officials realize cheese is all too real; at least 21 kids have died from overdosing on it. Have you heard of “Strawberry Quick?” It’s not a kid’s drink — it’s a kid’s methamphetamine. Drug dealers mix meth with Kool-Aid in an attempt to make it look and taste better. And again, there’s the snappy name. While Strawberry Quick hasn’t made a big splash in Dallas, it is gaining ground in other parts of the country.

The FDA's Cozy Little Relationship: Relationships between the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry have led to a “revolving door,” in which pharmaceutical executives go to work for the FDA, making regulatory decisions on matters affecting their industry and sometimes even their own former companies. When their time at the FDA is over, they go back to higher-paying jobs in the industry.

"Secure Flight," Insecure Travel Rights Starting this year, Americans will have to get government approval to travel by air. As Privacy Journal revealed last fall, henceforth "Permission Now Needed to Travel Within U.S." Getting a reservation and checking-in for air travel will soon require Transportation Security Administration authorization. That permission is by no means assured: For example, if your name matches a "no-fly" list, even mistakenly, you can be denied the right to a reserve a seat on a flight. If your name is on a "selectee" list, you and your possessions will be searched more thoroughly before you can board. What is going on here?

8/21/09

The Obstacles To Real Health Care Reform Private Insurers And Big Pharma

Toxic waste exported to Brazil returns to Britain LONDON - Containers of hazardous waste exported to Brazil arrived back at a British port Friday, the Environment Agency said. The toxic trash was sent to Brazil in 89 shipping containers earlier this year, incorrectly labeled as recyclable plastic. The containers held domestic and hospital waste, including batteries, used syringes, condoms, old medicine and soiled diapers.

Tiny invasive clams burgeon in Lake Tahoe Lake Tahoe is under siege by clams the size of your thumbnail. The population of the coffee-colored Asian clams has soared in the southeast portion of the lake, threatening to hog food sources and excrete nutrients that foster algae growth, according to an annual Lake Tahoe report by UC Davis researchers.

Days Away From Economic Chaos? America is just a few days away from a possible day of reckoning. I again call attention to this day, August 25, when the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation issues its 2nd Quarter report for 2009 on the state of health of American banks. It has not particularly alarmed Americans that its growth and prosperity have been built upon debt. The American public is a bit desensitized, particularly since the Y2K threat fizzled. We must wait and see how Americans respond to the upcoming FDIC report.

Iraqi lawmakers seek review of security forces Iraqi lawmakers called Friday for a review to find and fix acknowledged shortcomings in the country's U.S.-trained security forces that were revealed by a wave of bombings this week, including attacks on government buildings in Baghdad.

Pilot pleaded to evacuate stranded passengers The pilot of an airliner stranded overnight on an airport tarmac in Minnesota pleaded unsuccessfully for her 47 passengers to be allowed to get off and go inside a terminal. "We just need to work out some way to get them off ... We can't keep them here any longer," she said. The Transportation Department on Friday released recordings of the repeated appeals by the pilot and her airline's dispatchers earlier this month while passengers were kept waiting for about six hours in the cramped plane amid crying babies and a smelly toilet before they were allowed to deplane.

Ten Things That Are Missing from Obama's Health Care Reform Debate

Disabled child hurt when stepfather rips duct tape from his mouth The boy suffers from a form of muscular dystrophy and autism, and learns at a first-grade level, according to a Salt Lake County jail booking statement. (this is what happens when people have children and don't have good parenting skills or even 'human' skills themselves and may also be emotionally or mentally damaged)

Yellowstone trail closed because of new hot spots A popular trail in Yellowstone National Park has been closed because of new geothermal hot spots that could endanger hikers. Park officials said Wednesday that geologists will use thermal imaging, temperature readings and a ground survey to examine hot spots on the Clear Lake Trail. The 1.5 mile-trail overlooks the Upper and Lower Falls in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Three other Yellowstone trails have reopened after repairs: a boardwalk in the Back Basin of the Norris Geyser Basin, Uncle Tom's Trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the Wraith Falls Trail.

8/20/09

Obama Denies Flyover of 'GOD & Country Rally'—1stTime In42Yrs Why?BecauseOf Its 'Christian Nature'

AMBER ALERT: Cops: No Signs Of Reachelle Smith Where Man's Body Was Found Cops in Minot, N.D., are now searching for new clues that will lead them to Reachelle Smith. Investigators say they initially thought the little girl may have been traveling with 22-year-old Leigh Cowen. But any hopes of finding the 3-year-old with him vanished when cops found Cowen's dead body following what appeared to be a suicide.

They won't let him teach for free First, a bureaucratic nightmare involving an award-winning Los Angeles teacher who wants to teach FOR FREE. Naturally, he can't get the go-ahead, even though the district is strapped for cash.

Iraq bombings kill 95 Reporting from Baghdad - Thunderous truck bombs targeted the heart of the Iraqi government Wednesday in a blunt challenge to Prime Minister Nouri Maliki and his assurances that Iraqi police and soldiers will be able to maintain control as U.S. forces pull back.Most of the 95 dead and 536 wounded were casualties of attacks on the foreign and finance ministries. The blasts took place on the sixth anniversary of the bombing of United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, which is regarded by many as the start of the insurgency that gripped Iraq until the United States sent more troops and cut deals with former insurgents two years ago

The controversy rages on with the Health Care Bill issues:

8/19/09

The President Exhibits Crazy Speech Patterns

Hurricane Bill became a Category 4 storm as it rumbled across the Atlantic early Wednesday with maximum sustained winds near 135 mph. And forecasters say the dangerous hurricane could get even stronger.

New York Psychiatrist Exhorts FDA to Rescind Artificial Sweetener Aspartame Approval after personally seeing the effects with his clients and the studies..

Dear Toastmaster People!

An American neocon defends the NHS

Chlorella: the superfood that helps fight disease New research from Japan suggests that this green algae could be effective in fighting major lifestyle diseases. It has been shown to reduce body-fat percentage and blood-glucose levels and help those suffering from Type 2 diabetes, obesity or heart disease. Its benefits include boosting energy, aiding digestion and fighting depression.

8/18/09

england:Angry motorists torch speed camera in backlash against scores of tickets in three days Speed cameras are being destroyed in what appears to be a revenge campaign by motorists

President Pantywaist in retreat: Barack Obama hoists the white flag over Stalinist health care proposals The white flag is flying over Camp Obama, which makes a pleasant change from the red flag that, metaphorically speaking, has been flying there since January 20. Barack Obama’s plan for socialised health care on the Stalinist model across the United States is now in full retreat. Not only will it not play in Peoria, it will not play anywhere.

New Movie Seeks to Refute Gore’s ‘Inconvenient Truth’ A new documentary on climate change is highly critical of the claims made by former Vice President Al Gore in his film, “An Inconvenient Truth,” and seeks to refute the main points Gore made.

Eight suspected hijackers of cargo ship Arctic Sea arrested by Russian authorities The crew of a cargo ship that disappeared in the Channel were taken hostage by hijackers and forced to sail towards Africa, Russia’s Defence Minister claimed today. Eight men were in custody after the Russian navy and air force intercepted the Arctic Sea 300 miles (483km) off Cape Verde, a group of islands west of Senegal, Anatoli Serdyukov said. The 15-man crew of the ship were rescued safely.

Chinese villagers storm factory blamed for lead poisoning of 600 children Hundreds of furious Chinese parents rampaged through a lead factory yesterday after the authorities blamed pollution from the plant for poisoning more than 600 children. At least 615 of the 731 children in two nearby villages have been diagnosed with dangerously high amounts of lead in their blood. A gradual build up of lead in the bloodstream can lead to anaemia, muscle weakness and brain damage. More than 140 children have been treated in hospital.

Pastor Arrested for Cyberstalking Former Congregant MARSHALL, Texas -- A pastor active in the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship has resigned from his church amid allegations that he sent inappropriate e-mails to a woman who once attended the congregation.

Even Laguna Beach isn't recession-proof In the land of hillside mansions and ocean views, there are food banks. And the recipients aren't all low-income families. Some are white-collar workers who have fallen on hard times.

Swine Flu Vaccine Linked to Paralysis, Leaked Memo Reveals

8/17/09

Iranian women imprisoned for converting to Christianity Like that of non-believers during the times when the Christian Church reigned supreme, the persecution of non-Muslims in the Islamic world has been well known for centuries, but it appears to be reaching a peak with the emboldened Islamists making one aggressive move after another. Cases of non-Muslims, whether they are Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Atheists or other, being attacked, jailed and murdered seem to be on the rise globally. Entire groups such as the Christian Copts of Egypt appear to be on the verge of extinction because of Islamic fanaticism.

Gov't: Man tried to steal 130M credit card numbers Federal prosecutors on Monday charged a Miami man with the largest case of credit and debit card data theft ever in the United States, accusing the one-time government informant of trying to gain access to 130 million accounts. Albert Gonzalez, 28, broke his own record for identity theft by hacking into retail networks, according to prosecutors, though they say his illicit computer exploits ended when he went to jail on charges stemming from a previous case.

Winners And Losers In The American Warfare State “On my last day in Iraq,” veteran McClatchy News correspondent Leila Fadel wrote August 9th, “as on my first day in Iraq, I couldn’t see what the United States and its allies had accomplished. …I couldn’t understand what thousands of American soldiers had died for and why hundreds of thousands of Iraqis had been killed.”

Russia: Missing ship found off Cape Verde, crew OK The Russian-crewed freighter that sparked a high-seas mystery when it disappeared nearly three weeks ago has been found by a Russian naval frigate off the West African coast, the country's defense minister said Monday. The Arctic Sea's 15 crew members, last heard from July 28, were alive and now aboard the navy ship, Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in a meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev shown on national television. He did not give details about what happened to the ship, saying the full story could be made known later Monday.

Amish newspaper succeeds the old-fashioned way SUGARCREEK, Ohio – The writers' grievances came in the form of angry letters, carried over bumpy rural roads to the newspaper office serving the Amish community. In a world where news still travels at a mail carrier's pace, the farmers, preachers and mechanics responsible for filling The Budget threatened to go on strike if the 119-year-old Amish weekly went ahead with its plan to go online.

Hurricane Bill on Atlantic track toward Bermuda Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season, gained strength quickly as it churned across open ocean on Monday in the direction of Bermuda, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Two other tropical cyclones, Ana and Claudette, were fading; Ana in the Caribbean Sea just south of Puerto Rico, and Claudette in the southern United States after slogging ashore on the Florida panhandle. Bill's top winds reached 90 miles per hour (145 kilometers per hour), just below Category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, the Miami-based hurricane center said. Forecasters expected it to hit Category 3, with winds of more than 110 mph by late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

8/16/09

15 Horrifying Reasons to Never Let Anyone You Love Near a McDonald's The Golden Arches: the ultimate American icon. Super Size Me taught us that fast food culture brings obesity, heart disease, hypertension and a whole slew of other problems. How bad do you really want that Big Mac? Here are 15 reasons you’ll never let anyone you love get near those Golden Arches.

I Shouldn't Read the News. I Really Shouldn't.

In Philippine town, the U.S. airmen are long gone, but the tawdry streets remain In Angeles City, the Clark Air Base servicemen have been replaced by lonely old men lured by young girls selling sex for the price of a burger and fries.

Question to David Price on CAFR ignored...the truth? Watch & Decide for yourself. Well, most folks dont know that every government agency, local, state and federal have two sets of books - the budget and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. The budget details how the taxes collected from you and me are spent by that government agency. And the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, or CAFR for short, contains the numbers in the budget as well as ALL other forms of government revenue and expenses.

Radical imam's death ends bloody clash in Gaza Strip A two-day battle in Rafah between followers of the imam, who wanted to impose Islamic law, and Hamas forces left 27 others dead. The crackdown could present Hamas as a bulwark against militancy. Reporting from Gaza City and Jerusalem - An imam who wanted to impose Islamic law in the Gaza Strip was killed Saturday in an explosion at one of his hide-outs, ending a two-day battle between his armed followers and Hamas government forces that left 27 other people dead.

White House may be ready to nix 'public option'

Actor's US 'detention' prompts outrage in India

Plainfield Soldier Found Dead at Fort Bragg An 82nd Airborne Division Paratrooper from Plainfield died Friday morning after he was found unresponsive in his barracks room. Sgt. Jeffrey A. Van Us, 26, served as an operations noncommissioned officer and later as a senior vehicle mechanic with Company B, 307th Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division. The incident is under investigation.

Chicago: 3 Wounded in Uptown Shooting Three people were shot early Sunday while driving through an alley in the North Side Uptown neighborhood.

Chicago: City Government Closed For Business On Monday If you planned to check out a library book, visit a city clinic or have your garbage picked up on Monday, you're out of luck. The City of Chicago will basically be closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay, according to a release from the Office of Budget and Management. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed.The 2009 budget anticipates saving $8.3 million due to the reduced-service days. (of course in the long run...since people lost salaries, that cuts down on the amount of commerce done in the city [and other places] and it cuts down on income taxes to the feds and the state....domino effect...but who is counting?..Obviously 'no one')

8/15/09

Clinton Threatens War in Horn of Africa Hillary Clinton has confirmed that the Obama administration is bent on pursuing the same “war on terror” and regime-change strategy in the Horn of Africa as its predecessor. Having made George Bush’s wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan his own, President Obama dispatched his Secretary of State to draw battle lines in Somalia and to threaten the neighboring nation of Eritrea.Clinton depicted Somalia as the Afghanistan of Africa, and Al Shabab, the Islamist enemies of America’s pitiful little puppet regime in Somalia, as the Taliban. Clinton’s words could have been written by any of George Bush’s speechwriters. “If Al Shabab were to obtain a haven in Somalia which could then attract Al Qaeda and other terrorist actors,” she said, “it would be a threat to the United States.”That’s George Bush war talk, pure and simple. (Wouldn't you just love to hear our 'fearless' leaders threaten 'spreading peace' instead of 'war' to places all over the world?...Peace that is done out of love, with hands held out, not holding guns!)

India Independence day celebrated at "Baby Girl Home" video by Russal

DHS Apologizes for Language in Report American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein issued the following statement on April 16: "I am glad that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has apologized for the language used in the report about ‘Rightwing Extremism.' I look forward to meeting with her next Friday, putting this behind us and discussing critical issues involving Homeland Security and The American Legion."American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein sent Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano a letter of protest concerning a recent report by the Department of Homeland Security which suggested veterans were more likely to commit terrorist acts than nonveterans. (letter at the link) [Pay Attention folks: 'stereotyping' or 'labeling' is one tactic that many use, including governments/media/etc etc......to create a 'mind-set' and divsion between people so it pits them against each other, and takes them off track from 'seeing' what is really going on in hidden agendas'! A nation devided, cannot stand]

Report: Vanished ship's signal appears off France A Russian maritime website said the missing Arctic Sea's tracking system was broadcasting signals from the Bay of Biscay, but French Marines said the signals were coming from Russian warships.The contradictory claims deepened the mystery surrounding the ship, which has been missing since late July. On Friday, widespread reports suggested it may be in the vicinity of Cape Verde, off the coast of Africa some 2,000 miles south of the Bay of Biscay.

8/14/09

ustin man sentenced in $2.8-million fraud An Orange County man who fled while awaiting trial was sentenced to 31 years and four months in prison Friday for committing $2.8 million in fraud by stealing the identities of more than a dozen people and using them to buy a home, try to buy a boat, open lines of credit and illegally transfer properties from a fellow jail inmate so he could post bail. A jury found Gene Anthony Franklin Jr., 34, of Tustin guilty of 46 felony counts, including identity theft, false impersonation, grand theft by false pretense, child abuse, conspiracy, forgery and attempted extortion by threat.

Boy left beaten and starving in locked closet; 2 arrested A woman and her 16-year-old male roommate were arrested after authorities said they found her 5-year-old son locked in a closet, emaciated, battered and bruised. Desiree Gonzalez, 31, and the unidentified roommate were taken into custody Tuesday after San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies received an anonymous call saying a child was being held hostage and denied food and water. They also were told that he was being burned and beaten.

Taliban Now Winning U.S. Commander in Afghanistan Warns of Rising Casualties.The Taliban have gained the upper hand in Afghanistan, the top American commander there said, forcing the U.S. to change its strategy in the eight-year-old conflict by increasing the number of troops in heavily populated areas like the volatile southern city of Kandahar, the insurgency's spiritual home.Gen. Stanley McChrystal warned that means U.S. casualties, already running at record levels, will remain high for months to come.(BRING 'EM HOME!)

The school lunch scam: Corporate pigs at the trough Video.....'who' really plans the menus for our children that makes them fat and sick?????

8/13/09

Cheney Uncloaks His Frustration With Bush (he just wouldn't 'toe the line'.....bummer!)

H1N1 Swine Flu Scenarios: Best Case, Worst Case Predictions (NaturalNews) When it comes to swine flu, the public predictions are all over the map: On one hand, governments don't want you to be so worried that you start to panic and stay home from work, but they want you to be worried enough to submit to a vaccine injection.

8/12/09

Obama Health Plan's Dirty, Tyrannical, Hidden Secrets Hidden in the over 1,000 pages of Obama's dictatorial health plan...

Pa. man gets 120 years for making child porn A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 120 years in prison for making a huge cache of child pornography that shows him sexually assaulting a dozen children, including infants at a girlfriend's in-home day care.The FBI found John Jackey Worman with more than 1 million images of child pornography.

Ship passes through Channel and then disappears First the ship reported it had been attacked in waters off Sweden. Then it sailed with no apparent problems through one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. And then it disappeared.

Karl Rove took active role in U.S. attorney's firing, documents show Newly released documents show Bush's top political aide focused on GOP calls to oust New Mexico's top U.S. prosecutor. Other Bush aides lobbied the Justice Dept. on other issues, the documents show.

Endless War: The Suicide Of The United States Soldiers are returning from the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan destroyed mentally, spiritually, and psychologically, to a general population that is, mostly, willfully ignorant of the occupations and the soldiers participating in them. Troops face a Department of Veterans Affairs that is either unwilling or unable to help them with their physical and psychological wounds, and they are left to fend for themselves. It is a perfect storm of denial, neglect, violence, rage, suffering, and death

Another Soldier Refuses Afghanistan Deployment  Sgt. Travis Bishop, who served 14 months in Baghdad with the 3rd Signal Brigade, faces a court-martial this Friday for refusing to deploy to Afghanistan.

WHY ARE INTERNMENT CAMPS BEING BUILT? The Internet is abuzz with news about the construction of internment camps all across America. Of course, "mainstream" media outlets refuse to touch the subject; or if they do, they pooh-pooh the story; they do what Glenn Beck recently did: try to debunk the story as fallacious and impugn people who speak of it as "conspiracy nuts." The fact that the Becks, Hannitys, Limbaughs, and O'Reillys of the media circus refuse to deal with the construction of large numbers of internment camps does not make them disappear, however.

National Guard looking for 'Interment/resettlements specialists' This is an advertisement by the National Guard promoting the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) of "Internment/Resettlement Specialist." Question: why does the National Guard need to recruit Internment/Resettlement Specialists? What do they know that we should know?

Officials see rise in militia groups across US Militia groups with gripes against the government are regrouping across the country and could grow rapidly, according to an organization that tracks such trends. The stress of a poor economy and a liberal administration led by a black president are among the causes for the recent rise, the report from the Southern Poverty Law Center says. Conspiracy theories about a secret Mexican plan to reclaim the Southwest are also growing amid the public debate about illegal immigration.

8/11/09

Toxic seaweed clogs French coast The culprit is not a rogue shark or a plague of venomous jellyfish, but an innocuous-looking seaweed. Ulva Lactuca - more commonly known as sea lettuce - is harmless while living, but when it decays on land it forms a crust under which a deadly gas forms.

Families: American hikers entered Iran by mistake Three American hikers detained in Iran since July 31 entered the country by mistake and their families are hoping for a quick resolution that will reunite them with their children, the families said in a statement Tuesday.

Hillary Clinton Blows Up Over Bill Question Hillary Clinton has a message for the world: It's not all about Bill. The secretary of state bristled Monday when — as she heard it — a Congolese university student asked what her husband thought about an international financial matter.

8/10/09

Neutralizing a TASER Gun Assault And this simply can be done by shorting out the dart probes. A simple body armour can be nothing but a piece of tin foil worn under the clothes. That would short out the electrical currents even if the darts pierce through it. Two or three layers of the foil would even be better if the dart probes pierced it and would provide small holes so the taser electrical arcs would short out more and faster. Even a piece of cardboard or heavy cloth wrapped in tin foil would do the trick. These mindless fools need to be brought back in their place after maybe spending hundreds of thousands of dollars or even millions to be defeated by pennies.(read the whole article at the link)

Typhoon batters south-east China Waves as high as 9m have been reported on China's south-east coast Typhoon Morakot has struck China's south-east coast, destroying hundreds of houses and flooding farmland.

Bottled Water Sucks I knew bottled water was a social ill but I didn't know how damaging it was until I saw an explosive and compelling new documentary called Tapped.

The Many Layers Of Nahalat Shimon Beg The Question: Where's The Money Coming From? Last Sunday morning just before sunrise, Israeli forces evicted seventy more Palestinians from their homes in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, which is being taken over by the Nahalat Shimon settlers.By Eileen Fleming

Three More US Banks CollapseBy Patrick O’Connor US regulators closed another three banks last Friday: First State Bank and Community National Bank, based in Florida, and Oregon’s Community First Bank. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) is expected to pay out $185 million to cover closure costs and insured deposits for the three institutions. A total of 72 US banks have collapsed so far this year, up from 25 in all of 2008 and three in 2007.

Cash for Clunkers truth according to snopes.com......the 'whole' story...

8/9/09

Behind The Clinton 'Rescue' In North Korea The capture of two US reporters of Chinese descent, who worked for Al Gore, and their subsequent rescue from North Korea's clutches by former President Bill Clinton was a setup from the beginning. Nothing reported about this story comes close to the real truth.

Stories Jews Were Told: Israel, Zionism, and Palestine, by Donna Nevel. What is the story American Jews have been told about Israel and Zionism, and how does it differ from the reality of what happened in Palestine?

Fatal Sunshine: The Plight of California's Farm Workers The bountiful harvest of California strawberries, melons, grapes, peaches and nectarines overflows the nation's summer tables. But that luscious crop mostly emerges from farm workers who labor in flat fields under a scorching sun - and has a price higher than the grocery store bill. Every year many farm workers become sick, and some die.

Criminal investigation into CIA treatment of detainees expected Reporting from Washington -- U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. is poised to appoint a criminal prosecutor to investigate alleged CIA abuses committed during the interrogation of terrorism suspects, current and former U.S. government officials said.

The Expiring Economy Tent cities springing up all over America are filling with the homeless unemployed from the worst economy since the 1930s. While Americans live in tents, the Obama government has embarked on a $1 billion crash program to build a mega-embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, to rival the one the Bush government built in Baghdad, Iraq.

A Town-Hall Protest in Maryland As he entered the auditorium of the Mardela Middle and High School on Tuesday, a surprised Frank Kratovil waded through a sea of constituents. The first-term Democratic congressman had been told by aides that maybe two or three dozen residents would attend the “Congress in Your Corner” town-hall event in this Eastern Shore town of about 360 people. Instead, more than 250 people showed up.

57 Trillion Reasons To Murder 100 Million Americans With Poisonous Vaccinations The U.S. debt of $57 trillion in unfunded liabilities, according to common sense, is compelling reason for federal governors conspiring with special interests to murder 100 million Americans this fall using poisonous vaccinations.

National Guard asked to explain 'internment' jobs Campaign recruiting for workers at 'civilian resettlement facility'

Obama passing new law to allow searching of PC's, Laptops, and media devices "In extreme secrecy from the public, the Obama administration is hammering out an international treaty with other several other countries and the EU ......under ACTA,  the government will get sweeping new powers to search and seize material thought to be in breach of copyright. But why all the secrecy? What it will do on a larger scale is let big brother watch you; however, this time on a completely different level."

Crown-Wearing New Jersey Pimp Known as ‘Prince’ Ruled Operation From Throne

Blackwater Founder Implicated in Murder A former Blackwater employee and an ex-US Marine who has worked as a security operative for the company have made a series of explosive allegations in sworn statements filed on August 3 in federal court in Virginia. The two men claim that the company's owner, Erik Prince, may have murdered or facilitated the murder of individuals who were cooperating with federal authorities investigating the company. The former employee also alleges that Prince "views himself as a Christian crusader tasked with eliminating Muslims and the Islamic faith from the globe," and that Prince's companies "encouraged and rewarded the destruction of Iraqi life."In their testimony, both men also allege that Blackwater was smuggling weapons into Iraq.

Suspects Arrested After Racial Assault on Black Conservative at St. Louis Town Hall St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Kenneth Gladney, 38, a conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with "Don't tread on me" printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was awaiting treatment for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack

In Ciudad Juarez, young women are vanishing Amid the drug war's bloodshed, the Mexican border city has been shaken by the disappearances of at least two dozen teenage girls and young women. Officials have few leads.Reporting from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico -- The streets of Juarez are swallowing the young and pretty. Monica Alanis, an 18-year-old college freshman, never came home from her exams. That was more than four months ago.

Cyberpaths Cause PTSD! You Are Not Losing Your Mind! EOPC has taken excerpts from the late Tim Field's seminal work on Bullying and adjusted it for the victims of Cyberpaths. It fits the criteria and should be illustrative for both victims & their friends/ family

.Strong earthquake shakes Tokyo area A strong earthquake shook the Japanese capital and surrounding areas today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the temblor, which rattled furniture and walls in Tokyo homes at 7:56 p.m. (1056 GMT) Sunday, the agency said. The Japanese agency recorded the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 6.9. The United States Geological Survey said the quake was magnitude 7.1 and that it was centered in the Izu Islands some 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo

8/5/09

9/11 dust 'gave thousands asthma' Thousands of people exposed to choking dust after the destruction of the World Trade Centre twin towers in New York have developed asthma, a study has shown. They included rescue and recovery workers, neighbouring office staff and passers-by.A follow-up study of more than 46,000 people caught up in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, found one in 10 had been diagnosed with asthma five or six years after the disaster. None of these 4,600 individuals had a previous history of the disease.

Diseased African Monkeys Used to Make Swine Flu Vaccines; Private Military Contractor Holds Key Patents Aside from the dangerous ingredients many people already know about (like squalene or thimerosal), one of the key ingredients used in flu vaccines (including the vaccines being prepared for the swine flu pandemic) is the diseased flesh of African Green Monkeys.

Afghanistan ride-a-long with Gen. Stanley McChrystal Reporting from Camp Kunduz, Afghanistan -- As Army Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal's helicopter flies over the steep mountains and deep valleys of Afghanistan, he gazes at a remote village below. Mud huts cling to the side of the peaks like barnacles. They are barely accessible by road. As the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, he spends several days a week visiting base camps across the country and meeting with local officials, some of whom have plenty of grievances.

'Our girls are coming home' Joy replaces worry as news spreads about the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee. Ling's sister describes trying to stay calm during months of diplomacy, and getting a surprise call from Pyongyang. The two journalists have been given a pardon by the North Korean government as ex-president Clinton has gone on a diplomatic mission to communicate with the North Koreans.

White House rebuts Drudge Report link Reporting from Washington -- In another display of adapting campaign tactics to governing, the White House posted a video on its official website Tuesday to rebut accusations that President Obama's healthcare proposals would do away with private health insurance. Douglass points to a link featured by Drudge and proceeds to discount it, assuring viewers that patients who are satisfied with their private health coverage would be able to keep it.

8/4/09

Dear Secretary Clinton: Could You Please Find Out if This Congolese Child Is Still Alive? The State Department briefing of August 2 details your goals while in the Democratic Republic of Congo this week. So many Congolese will be happy and hopeful that you are visiting the hellish landscape of the Kivus. I know you will not have a lot of free time there, so perhaps you could skip one or two interviews and go to the Mugunga II Refugee Camp. This camp has been in existence since May 2007. When I was there in January of this year, I was told there are approximately 20,360 internally displaced persons in Mugunga II.  You will find a small city with no infrastructure, electricity, sanitation or medical care. The population is comprised of roughly 7,000 children, many of whom were orphaned by the war. There is a child there in block 35 and here is the photo I took. I wonder if this child is alive. Could you please find the family and let us know?

CA: State ordered to shrink prison population by 40,000 inmates In a historic move, a panel of three federal judges today ordered the state of California to reduce its prison population by more than 40,000 inmates in the next two years.The order, which will not result in the immediate release of any of the state's 167,000 inmates, almost certainly will be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, the first time the high court will have faced such a case.

Storm-fed flash floods hit Kentucky, Indiana Heavy thunderstorms fed floods in Kentucky and Indiana on Tuesday, shutting down a university campus in Louisville, closing highways and cutting power to thousands of people.The storm shut down the University of Louisville, where about a dozen buildings were without power and a dozen more had some flooding on the main campus, said university spokesman Mark Hebert. Dozens of university of employees were evacuated, he said.

North Korea: 2 US journalists pardoned North Korean leader Kim Jong Il issued a "special pardon" for two jailed American journalists and ordered their release at former U.S. President Bill Clinton's request, North Korean media reported Wednesday. The move to free reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee reflected North Korea's "humanitarian and peaceloving policy," the Korean Central News Agency said in a dispatch from Pyongyang early Wednesday.

Police beat women opposing Sudan dress code trial Sudanese police fired tear gas and beat women protesting at the trial Tuesday of a female journalist who faces a flogging for wearing trousers in public.Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein could receive 40 lashes if found guilty of violating the country's indecency law which follows a strict interpretation of Islam. The 43-year-old says the law is un-Islamic and "oppressive," and she's trying to use her trial to rally support to change it.

FDA: Arthritis drugs pose cancer risk to children Federal regulators on Tuesday added stronger warnings to a group of best-selling drugs used to treat arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, saying they can increase the risk of cancer in children and adolescents. The FDA will bolster the "black box" warning on the five drugs sold in the U.S., including Abbott Laboratories' Humira, Johnson & Johnson's Remicade and Simponi, and Enbrel which is co-marketed by Amgen Inc. and Wyeth. All the products are multibillion-dollar sellers. Enbrel was the biggest moneymaker of the group with sales of $3.4 billion last year. The action also affects Belgian drugmaker UCB's Cimizia, which launched in May.

GMO Scandal: The Long Term Effects of Genetically Modified Food on Humans.Scientific Tests Must Be Approved by Industry First

Hidden Gobi Desert relics found Rare Buddhist treasures, not seen for more than 70 years, have been unearthed in the Gobi Desert.The historic artefacts were buried in the 1930s during Mongolia's Communist purge, when hundreds of monasteries were looted and destroyed.

Chinese factory poisons hundreds Hundreds of residents near a Chinese chemical plant have been found to have high levels of a dangerous metal in their bodies, after a series of leaks. Thirty-three of them were admitted to hospitals in Hunan province over the weekend with cadmium poisoning, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

8/3/09

What Obama and my wife have in common First, happy birthday. I do hope Aug. 4 is an enjoyable day for you and your family. Coincidentally, I also will be celebrating this week the birth of someone dear to me, my beloved wife, Gena, whose birthday is on Aug. 9.

BREAKING! group of quakes hitting Gulf of Mexico 6.9, 5.8, 6.0, 5.0

Scientists uncover lost Venetian city Venice, the floating city, owes a curious debt to Attila the Hun. " The Scourge of God" sent the Venetians fleeing in 452 A.D. from their city, Altinum, to found Venice deep in the marshes on the edge of the Adriatic. But despite the best efforts of Attila (and the Venetians, who carted away the stones of their sacked home to build Venice), archaeologists have mapped the lost city, detailed in the current Science.

8/2/09

Bomb kills 4 U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan A roadside bomb killed four American soldiers in eastern Afghanistan on Monday, adding to the toll in what has already been the conflict's deadliest month for Western forces. The latest deaths push the number of coalition troops killed in July to at least 55 -- 30 of them American.
U.S. military officials have forecast a bloody summer in Afghanistan, in part because thousands of newly arrived American troops are pushing into areas previously controlled by the Taliban. (pawns in the war-games which never seem to stop)

Obama’s ratings fall back to earth OFFICIALS insisted it was not a crisis meeting, but President Barack Obama and members of his cabinet had plenty to worry about as they ended a two-day retreat devoted to discussions of the administration’s faltering progress. Plummeting opinion poll ratings, divisions among Democrats about healthcare reform and distracting rows about Wall Street bonuses, economic stimulus programmes and racial politics all cast a shadow over the beginning of Washington’s summer recess.

Accused soldier's family searches for answers Sgt. John Russell is awaiting a hearing on the slaying of five fellow troops. Conviction could carry a death sentence. His anguished relatives say he hadn't been himself, and snapped under stress. Russell, 44, is in custody in Kuwait, awaiting an Article 32 hearing, the military equivalent of a preliminary hearing. Under military law, a conviction can carry a death sentence; the minimum is life in prison. (another example of cruel and un-usual punishment of 'our troups'.....sending them into situations like this and keeping them their without help!)

The Military's new "Don't ask, don't Tell" edict. U.S. stops giving militant death tolls in Afghanistan. Reporting from Kabul, Afghanistan -- U.S. military officials in Afghanistan have halted the practice of releasing the number of militants killed in fighting with American-led forces as part of an overall strategy shift that emphasizes concern for the local civilian population's well-being rather than hunting insurgent groups. The decision has triggered a quiet but fierce debate among military officers comparing the current situation with the U.S. experience in Vietnam, when military officials exaggerated body counts and used them as a measure of success.

Sharpest ever images of Betelgeuse reveal how explosive red supergiant loses mass most 1,000 times larger than our sun, Betelgeuse is the second largest star in the constellation of Orion and one of the biggest stars known to man.The plume bursts out to at least six times the diameter of the star - about the distance from Sun to Neptune.‘This is a clear indication that the whole outer shell of the star is not shedding matter evenly in all directions,’ adds Kervella.

Army Capt. Kafele H. Sims, 32, Los Angeles; dies of unknown cause in Iraq (ummmm ...had an new vaccinations lately Kafele????) .....condolences to the family! and to all the families of the fallen......

Murder Suspect Cyberstalks Family Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr. is charged in the Escambia County slayings. His daughter, ex-wife and former in-laws live in Sarasota.

8/1/09

Obama invites CEO's to lunch; makes them buy Four of the most powerful business leaders in America arrived at the White House one day last month for lunch with President Barack Obama, sitting down in his private dining room just steps from the Oval Office. But even for powerful CEOs, there's no such thing as a free lunch: White House staffers collected credit card numbers for each executive and carefully billed them for the cost of the meal with the president. (now he is not just a fun date at all!)

Barack Obama

July is deadliest month in Afghanistan for U.S. forces, foreign allies At least 70 foreign troops died across the country, including 42 Americans. The previous highest monthly U.S. toll was 26 in September 2008.(how many have to die before mankind will just stop the 'wargames' that profit nothing for no one?....well except all those who do profit from it....ie military contracts...bigger bombs, planes, drones, etc etc....you get the picture)

The Pornographic ConspiracyDestroying The Family - Degrading The Human Spirit

Melissa Schultz: Wastewater chemicals affect fish Antidepressants may benefit people, but they’re not much help to fish. That’s according to Melissa Schultz, an environmental chemist at the College of Wooster, in Ohio. She said that antidepressants and other medications we excrete and flush down the toilet are winding up in rivers, possibly harming wildlife.

KILLING THE FAMILY OF JESUS U.S. shipped 989 munitions containers to Israel week before Gaza invasion Modern genetics testing has demonstrated that modern-day Palestinians have a direct genetic trail back to the biblical Israelites.

Israel is killing them.

And YOU are paying for it, which means you share the guilt. YOU are paying for the weapons used to kill the modern day family of Jesus. The moment you sign that 1040 form, you sign a confession, admitting before all the world that you are an accessory in the murder.

(7th FIRE EDITORS NOTE: Violence is never the answer or solution to any problem, question or frustration. This type of 'shooting is becoming all to common, all over America and the world, in homes, in schools, as well as other places, and by all kinds of people. Violence only begets more violence when understanding, love and compassion is so badly needed in the world today.)

Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.

~Albert Einstein