17-Year-Old Creates A Brain-Powered Prosthetic Arm
"Meet Easton LaChappelle, a 17-year old high school student from Colorado. When Easton was only 14, he decided to build a robotic hand from LEGO, fishing line, and a few servos. His project won the teen 3rd prize at the Colorado Science Fair. It was there that he met a 7-year old girl that was born without an arm. During the conversation, LaChappelle learned that the girl’s prosthetic cost an astounding $80,000. Upon hearing this, he knew right away that he could build his own arm for much less. So he began working with Solidworks, a 3D modeling program, and searched for ready-made parts on Thingiverse, an online repository of open source models. Luckily he had a friend with access to a 3D printer and was able to print incredibly detailed parts, which then turned into a fully articulated prosthetic arm that interfaces with the human brain. He says that altogether, the new arm sports “extreme strength, functionality, costs under $500, and weighs less than a human arm.” He did that all in his own bedroom. Impressive huh? But the best part is how he decides to share his technology with the world. He is not just creating something that will benefit many, he’s giving everyone the ability to be their own engineer."
"Meet Easton LaChappelle, a 17-year old high school student from Colorado. When Easton was only 14, he decided to build a robotic hand from LEGO, fishing line, and a few servos. His project won the teen 3rd prize at the Colorado Science Fair. It was there that he met a 7-year old girl that was born without an arm. During the conversation, LaChappelle learned that the girl’s prosthetic cost an astounding $80,000. Upon hearing this, he knew right away that he could build his own arm for much less. So he began working with Solidworks, a 3D modeling program, and searched for ready-made parts on Thingiverse, an online repository of open source models. Luckily he had a friend with access to a 3D printer and was able to print incredibly detailed parts, which then turned into a fully articulated prosthetic arm that interfaces with the human brain. He says that altogether, the new arm sports “extreme strength, functionality, costs under $500, and weighs less than a human arm.” He did that all in his own bedroom. Impressive huh? But the best part is how he decides to share his technology with the world. He is not just creating something that will benefit many, he’s giving everyone the ability to be their own engineer."
Honey & Sugar Outperform Antibiotic Ointments in Treating Wounds & Burns
"From Alexander the Great to the American Revolution in 1776, man has fought and incurred severe wounds and amputations on the battlefield, was treated and survived. For thousands of years people have survived without antibiotics, and it’s time to look at how that was possible. Both the Smith Papyrus of 1700 B.C. and the Ebers Papyrus of 1500 B.C. describe the treatment of severe wounds and burns with coagulated milk and honey held in place by a muslin bandage. Similar combinations have been used by cultures worldwide – from the ancient Chinese, to Native American Indians to the people of Kenya."
"From Alexander the Great to the American Revolution in 1776, man has fought and incurred severe wounds and amputations on the battlefield, was treated and survived. For thousands of years people have survived without antibiotics, and it’s time to look at how that was possible. Both the Smith Papyrus of 1700 B.C. and the Ebers Papyrus of 1500 B.C. describe the treatment of severe wounds and burns with coagulated milk and honey held in place by a muslin bandage. Similar combinations have been used by cultures worldwide – from the ancient Chinese, to Native American Indians to the people of Kenya."
Depression Recipes – Simple Meal Ideas for Hard Times
"There are some that say we are already living through another great depression but we don’t know it because of the social safety nets, which over 100 million people rely on daily to get by. Rather than waiting in line for soup and bread, you are given a credit card so you can buy junk food at the store like everyone else. Remove the stigma of public poverty and one could argue the actual harsh effects, and you might struggle less to get out of it. At a minimum, if nobody sees the outward face of poverty, why worry? Not that people on welfare have it good, but the poor in this country live like Kings and Queens compared to the poor in India or China. Regardless of where you live, it can’t be argued that the prices of food are rising. When the price of groceries increases too far or your ability to pay is decreased, that is when creativity comes into the kitchen and you will need to adjust your menu. During the depression, meat was a luxury that was often only eaten once a week. When I say meat, I am talking about Hot Dogs. Forget having your steaks if we enter another depression. Meals were frequently based on a few simple ingredients like potatoes, flour, onions and vegetables that were grown in the family garden."
"There are some that say we are already living through another great depression but we don’t know it because of the social safety nets, which over 100 million people rely on daily to get by. Rather than waiting in line for soup and bread, you are given a credit card so you can buy junk food at the store like everyone else. Remove the stigma of public poverty and one could argue the actual harsh effects, and you might struggle less to get out of it. At a minimum, if nobody sees the outward face of poverty, why worry? Not that people on welfare have it good, but the poor in this country live like Kings and Queens compared to the poor in India or China. Regardless of where you live, it can’t be argued that the prices of food are rising. When the price of groceries increases too far or your ability to pay is decreased, that is when creativity comes into the kitchen and you will need to adjust your menu. During the depression, meat was a luxury that was often only eaten once a week. When I say meat, I am talking about Hot Dogs. Forget having your steaks if we enter another depression. Meals were frequently based on a few simple ingredients like potatoes, flour, onions and vegetables that were grown in the family garden."
Essential Oils Could Be The New Antibiotics
"Essential oils often evoke thoughts of scented candles and day spas, but their benefits beyond relaxation are less well-known. Essential oils are ultimately just plant extracts — and those are used in countless cleaning and personal-careproducts, and are the main ingredient in some pest-control products and some over-the-counter medications, like Vick’s VapoRub and some lice sprays. They’re used in the food industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogens — thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and migraines, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells of the breast, colon, mouth, skin, and more. A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, though most of the research in that realm thus far has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. “The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century,” says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service."
"Essential oils often evoke thoughts of scented candles and day spas, but their benefits beyond relaxation are less well-known. Essential oils are ultimately just plant extracts — and those are used in countless cleaning and personal-careproducts, and are the main ingredient in some pest-control products and some over-the-counter medications, like Vick’s VapoRub and some lice sprays. They’re used in the food industry because of their preservative potency against food-borne pathogens — thanks to their antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. Various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and migraines, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells of the breast, colon, mouth, skin, and more. A handful of promising, real-life studies have been conducted with humans and other animals, though most of the research in that realm thus far has been conducted in the lab. More controlled trials will be required before some of these applications will be available to the public, but meanwhile, scientists have turned up exciting results in another area of use: countering the growing antibiotic-resistance crisis. “The loss of antibiotics due to antimicrobial resistance is potentially one of the most important challenges the medical and animal-health communities will face in the 21st century,” says Dr. Cyril Gay, the senior national program leader at the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service."
More Global Warming Hot Air, As Climate Fundamentalists Continue Inflating a False Reality
"We’re told this week that Washington’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center (NOAA) had finally crunched its numbers for 2014, and Al Gore is a very happy man, as are the armies of amateur climate experts who take government scientific announcements as gospel. Not surprisingly, NPR was very excited about this latest government proclamation, running the headline, “It’s Official: 2014 Was The Hottest Year On Record, NOAA Says”. Yes, NOAA speaks! Who dares to defy the great and powerful NOAA? There’s only one big problem with all of this. I really love dolphins, and all sea life, but at the end of the day, NOAA is still an arm of the US federal government, and therefore, it’s can be just as political as any other federally-funded agency. So why is the government-media-complex pushing so hard with global warming now?"
"We’re told this week that Washington’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climatic Data Center (NOAA) had finally crunched its numbers for 2014, and Al Gore is a very happy man, as are the armies of amateur climate experts who take government scientific announcements as gospel. Not surprisingly, NPR was very excited about this latest government proclamation, running the headline, “It’s Official: 2014 Was The Hottest Year On Record, NOAA Says”. Yes, NOAA speaks! Who dares to defy the great and powerful NOAA? There’s only one big problem with all of this. I really love dolphins, and all sea life, but at the end of the day, NOAA is still an arm of the US federal government, and therefore, it’s can be just as political as any other federally-funded agency. So why is the government-media-complex pushing so hard with global warming now?"
Snowden Docs Reveal 8-Year-Old NSA Program Training Cyber Army for Warfare
"The US National Security Agency's (NSA) eight-year project titled Politerain has been developing a cyber army of the future, NSA whitsleblower Edward Snowden revealed to Der Spiegel in its latest exclusive. "[Politerain recruits people to] remotely degrade or destroy opponent computers, routers, servers and network enabled devices by attacking the hardware," excerpts of confidential documents seen by the publication said. According to internal NSA communications, the spying agency's mass surveillance program uncovered in 2013 is only the tip of the iceberg — or "Phase 0" — in the United States' three-pronged digital war strategy. Documents obtained say that after gaining "permanent" access to enemy systems, Phase Three of the US cyberwarfare strategy is to reportedly dominate through "real time controlled escalation."
"The US National Security Agency's (NSA) eight-year project titled Politerain has been developing a cyber army of the future, NSA whitsleblower Edward Snowden revealed to Der Spiegel in its latest exclusive. "[Politerain recruits people to] remotely degrade or destroy opponent computers, routers, servers and network enabled devices by attacking the hardware," excerpts of confidential documents seen by the publication said. According to internal NSA communications, the spying agency's mass surveillance program uncovered in 2013 is only the tip of the iceberg — or "Phase 0" — in the United States' three-pronged digital war strategy. Documents obtained say that after gaining "permanent" access to enemy systems, Phase Three of the US cyberwarfare strategy is to reportedly dominate through "real time controlled escalation."
The Rise of Men Who Don’t Work, and What They Do Instead
"At every age, the chances of not working have changed in the last 15 years. Teenagers are far more likely not to work. Older people are retiring later and working more. In the ages in between — the periods of life when most people work — the changes have been smaller, but they are still substantial. In the late 1960s, almost all men between the ages of 25 and 54 went to work. Only about 5 out of every 100 did not have a job in any given week. By 2000, this figure had more than doubled, to 11 out of every 100 men. This year, it’s 16. (People in the military, prison and institutions are excluded from these figures.) Of course, the economy was stronger in 2000 than it is today, with a lower official unemployment rate — the share of people not working and actively looking for work — than today. But for prime-age men, the rise in official unemployment explains only about one-third of the increase in not working. The remaining two-thirds is made up of those who are not working and not looking for work. Every month, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics ask these men who are not in the labor force to describe their situation. Are they disabled, ill, in school, taking care of house or family, in retirement, or something else? Here are the trends within some of the larger of those categories:"
"At every age, the chances of not working have changed in the last 15 years. Teenagers are far more likely not to work. Older people are retiring later and working more. In the ages in between — the periods of life when most people work — the changes have been smaller, but they are still substantial. In the late 1960s, almost all men between the ages of 25 and 54 went to work. Only about 5 out of every 100 did not have a job in any given week. By 2000, this figure had more than doubled, to 11 out of every 100 men. This year, it’s 16. (People in the military, prison and institutions are excluded from these figures.) Of course, the economy was stronger in 2000 than it is today, with a lower official unemployment rate — the share of people not working and actively looking for work — than today. But for prime-age men, the rise in official unemployment explains only about one-third of the increase in not working. The remaining two-thirds is made up of those who are not working and not looking for work. Every month, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics ask these men who are not in the labor force to describe their situation. Are they disabled, ill, in school, taking care of house or family, in retirement, or something else? Here are the trends within some of the larger of those categories:"
New police radars can 'see' inside homes
"At least 50 U.S. law enforcement agencies have secretly equipped their officers with radar devices that allow them to effectively peer through the walls of houses to see whether anyone is inside, a practice raising new concerns about the extent of government surveillance. Those agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, began deploying the radar systems more than two years ago with little notice to the courts and no public disclosure of when or how they would be used. The technology raises legal and privacy issues because the U.S. Supreme Court has said officers generally cannot use high-tech sensors to tell them about the inside of a person's house without first obtaining a search warrant. The radars work like finely tuned motion detectors, using radio waves to zero in on movements as slight as human breathing from a distance of more than 50 feet. They can detect whether anyone is inside of a house, where they are and whether they are moving. Current and former federal officials say the information is critical for keeping officers safe if they need to storm buildings or rescue hostages. But privacy advocates and judges have nonetheless expressed concern about the circumstances in which law enforcement agencies may be using the radars — and the fact that they have so far done so without public scrutiny. "The idea that the government can send signals through the wall of your house to figure out what's inside is problematic," said Christopher Soghoian, the American Civil Liberties Union's principal technologist. "Technologies that allow the police to look inside of a home are among the intrusive tools that police have."
"At least 50 U.S. law enforcement agencies have secretly equipped their officers with radar devices that allow them to effectively peer through the walls of houses to see whether anyone is inside, a practice raising new concerns about the extent of government surveillance. Those agencies, including the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service, began deploying the radar systems more than two years ago with little notice to the courts and no public disclosure of when or how they would be used. The technology raises legal and privacy issues because the U.S. Supreme Court has said officers generally cannot use high-tech sensors to tell them about the inside of a person's house without first obtaining a search warrant. The radars work like finely tuned motion detectors, using radio waves to zero in on movements as slight as human breathing from a distance of more than 50 feet. They can detect whether anyone is inside of a house, where they are and whether they are moving. Current and former federal officials say the information is critical for keeping officers safe if they need to storm buildings or rescue hostages. But privacy advocates and judges have nonetheless expressed concern about the circumstances in which law enforcement agencies may be using the radars — and the fact that they have so far done so without public scrutiny. "The idea that the government can send signals through the wall of your house to figure out what's inside is problematic," said Christopher Soghoian, the American Civil Liberties Union's principal technologist. "Technologies that allow the police to look inside of a home are among the intrusive tools that police have."
Tests Show Most Store Honey Isn’t Honey
"More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn’t exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News. The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled “honey.” The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world’s food safety agencies. The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that’s been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn’t honey. However, the FDA isn’t checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen."
"More than three-fourths of the honey sold in U.S. grocery stores isn’t exactly what the bees produce, according to testing done exclusively for Food Safety News. The results show that the pollen frequently has been filtered out of products labeled “honey.” The removal of these microscopic particles from deep within a flower would make the nectar flunk the quality standards set by most of the world’s food safety agencies. The food safety divisions of the World Health Organization, the European Commission and dozens of others also have ruled that without pollen there is no way to determine whether the honey came from legitimate and safe sources. In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration says that any product that’s been ultra-filtered and no longer contains pollen isn’t honey. However, the FDA isn’t checking honey sold here to see if it contains pollen."
3 Powerful Nutrients to Help Kick your Anxiety Symptoms
"In my practice, as a therapist and health coach, I have found far too often that people struggling with anxiety use food to self-medicate. And, I’m not referring to kale or quinoa! Food creates a powerful response in the body. What you eat can make a difference in your digestion, your energy levels, and your mood and anxiety levels. When someone is struggling with overwhelming anxiety, it’s tempting to use alcohol, foods like chocolate and other snack items to relax and take your mind off of the mental stress. Unfortunately, this only makes the anxiety worse, weakens your digestive track, and creates a destructive cycle. Your body is brilliant. Really! Cravings can indicate that you are struggling with nutritional deficiencies. For example, many people have a deficiency in Magnesium. Magnesium provides a very calming effect on the body. Chocolate is high in Magnesium. Maybe your chocolate cravings are simply your body telling you a crucial piece of information: you need more nutrition! We can become deficient in nutrients for various reasons. Overuse of medications such as antibiotics and birth control pills, high intake of processed or fried foods, leaky gut, undiagnosed food sensitivities and chlorinated water and others can contribute to this. Choosing to fill your body with nutrient dense foods, coupled with therapy with an anxiety specialist, can be a powerful combination to help you in your journey towards overcoming anxiety."
"In my practice, as a therapist and health coach, I have found far too often that people struggling with anxiety use food to self-medicate. And, I’m not referring to kale or quinoa! Food creates a powerful response in the body. What you eat can make a difference in your digestion, your energy levels, and your mood and anxiety levels. When someone is struggling with overwhelming anxiety, it’s tempting to use alcohol, foods like chocolate and other snack items to relax and take your mind off of the mental stress. Unfortunately, this only makes the anxiety worse, weakens your digestive track, and creates a destructive cycle. Your body is brilliant. Really! Cravings can indicate that you are struggling with nutritional deficiencies. For example, many people have a deficiency in Magnesium. Magnesium provides a very calming effect on the body. Chocolate is high in Magnesium. Maybe your chocolate cravings are simply your body telling you a crucial piece of information: you need more nutrition! We can become deficient in nutrients for various reasons. Overuse of medications such as antibiotics and birth control pills, high intake of processed or fried foods, leaky gut, undiagnosed food sensitivities and chlorinated water and others can contribute to this. Choosing to fill your body with nutrient dense foods, coupled with therapy with an anxiety specialist, can be a powerful combination to help you in your journey towards overcoming anxiety."
Too Much Propaganda? Sedation by Sound BiteToo Much Propaganda? Sedation by Sound Bite
"Millions upon millions of educated – and even aware people, all over the world, are succumbing to a new virus ‘SBS’, or ‘Sound-Bite Syndrome’. Its symptoms are best described as an inability to concentrate on anything meaningful for anything other than a very short passage of time. To concentrate the mind so as to read something that requires a certain depth of thought or fuller cognisance, is becoming an endangered skill. Now that is a truly shocking fact. One that should register high on the shocking fact ratio. It should jolt us all into recalling the vital role that genuine communication plays in the passing of essential knowledge and inspiration – including lyrical poetry and vivid prose. For these great tools of consciousness raising to be corrupted into a thousand broken pieces of easily assimilated sound-bites, must constitute one of the most masterful silent weapons of destruction of the Illuminati war chest. It’s not just the children who grow up on a diet of sugary sweets, synthetic colouring agents and indigestible preservatives who can’t concentrate on their school work; there are now great swathes of the population as a whole who need to have their reading matter served-up to them in the same manner as a fast food outlet doles out its instant processed meals. What this does, is to put all the most valuable writings, be they literary, spiritual, historical or even scientific, out of reach of what amounts to the best part of an entire generation – particularly those growing up in the instant access era. Those who have become so pap fed with processed communication bites that their brains have shrunk. In such cases, certain regions of the neocortex, lacking stimulation and activity over an extended period of time, become virtually dead zones."
"Millions upon millions of educated – and even aware people, all over the world, are succumbing to a new virus ‘SBS’, or ‘Sound-Bite Syndrome’. Its symptoms are best described as an inability to concentrate on anything meaningful for anything other than a very short passage of time. To concentrate the mind so as to read something that requires a certain depth of thought or fuller cognisance, is becoming an endangered skill. Now that is a truly shocking fact. One that should register high on the shocking fact ratio. It should jolt us all into recalling the vital role that genuine communication plays in the passing of essential knowledge and inspiration – including lyrical poetry and vivid prose. For these great tools of consciousness raising to be corrupted into a thousand broken pieces of easily assimilated sound-bites, must constitute one of the most masterful silent weapons of destruction of the Illuminati war chest. It’s not just the children who grow up on a diet of sugary sweets, synthetic colouring agents and indigestible preservatives who can’t concentrate on their school work; there are now great swathes of the population as a whole who need to have their reading matter served-up to them in the same manner as a fast food outlet doles out its instant processed meals. What this does, is to put all the most valuable writings, be they literary, spiritual, historical or even scientific, out of reach of what amounts to the best part of an entire generation – particularly those growing up in the instant access era. Those who have become so pap fed with processed communication bites that their brains have shrunk. In such cases, certain regions of the neocortex, lacking stimulation and activity over an extended period of time, become virtually dead zones."
If the Fed Has Nothing to Hide, It Has Nothing to Fear
"Since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, the dollar has lost over 97 percent of its purchasing power, the US economy has been subjected to a series of painful Federal Reserve-created recessions and depressions, and government has grown to dangerous levels thanks to the Fed’s policy of monetizing the debt. Yet the Federal Reserve still operates under a congressionally-created shroud of secrecy. No wonder almost 75 percent of the American public supports legislation to audit the Federal Reserve. The new Senate leadership has pledged to finally hold a vote on the audit bill this year, but, despite overwhelming public support, passage of this legislation is by no means assured. The reason it may be difficult to pass this bill is that the 25 percent of Americans who oppose it represent some of the most powerful interests in American politics. These interests are working behind the scenes to kill the bill or replace it with a meaningless “compromise.” This “compromise” may provide limited transparency, but it would still keep the American people from learning the full truth about the Fed’s conduct of monetary policy."
"Since the creation of the Federal Reserve in 1913, the dollar has lost over 97 percent of its purchasing power, the US economy has been subjected to a series of painful Federal Reserve-created recessions and depressions, and government has grown to dangerous levels thanks to the Fed’s policy of monetizing the debt. Yet the Federal Reserve still operates under a congressionally-created shroud of secrecy. No wonder almost 75 percent of the American public supports legislation to audit the Federal Reserve. The new Senate leadership has pledged to finally hold a vote on the audit bill this year, but, despite overwhelming public support, passage of this legislation is by no means assured. The reason it may be difficult to pass this bill is that the 25 percent of Americans who oppose it represent some of the most powerful interests in American politics. These interests are working behind the scenes to kill the bill or replace it with a meaningless “compromise.” This “compromise” may provide limited transparency, but it would still keep the American people from learning the full truth about the Fed’s conduct of monetary policy."
Pipeline breach spills up 50,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River
"The Bridger Pipeline Co. said the spill occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday. The initial estimate is that 300 to 1,200 barrels of oil spilled, the company said in a statement Sunday. Some of the oil did get into the water, but the area where it spilled was frozen over and that could help reduce the impact, said Dave Parker, a spokesman for Gov. Steve Bullock. “We think it was caught pretty quick, and it was shut down,” Parker said. “The governor is committed to making sure the river is cleaned up.” Bridger Pipeline Co. said in the statement that it shut down the 10-inch-wide pipeline shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday. “Our primary concern is to minimize the environmental impact of the release and keep our responders safe as we clean up from this unfortunate incident,” said Tad True, vice president of Bridger. The EPA and state Department of Environmental Quality have responded to the area about 9 miles upriver from Glendive, Parker said."
"The Bridger Pipeline Co. said the spill occurred about 10 a.m. Saturday. The initial estimate is that 300 to 1,200 barrels of oil spilled, the company said in a statement Sunday. Some of the oil did get into the water, but the area where it spilled was frozen over and that could help reduce the impact, said Dave Parker, a spokesman for Gov. Steve Bullock. “We think it was caught pretty quick, and it was shut down,” Parker said. “The governor is committed to making sure the river is cleaned up.” Bridger Pipeline Co. said in the statement that it shut down the 10-inch-wide pipeline shortly before 11 a.m. Saturday. “Our primary concern is to minimize the environmental impact of the release and keep our responders safe as we clean up from this unfortunate incident,” said Tad True, vice president of Bridger. The EPA and state Department of Environmental Quality have responded to the area about 9 miles upriver from Glendive, Parker said."
Europe Gets Cold Feet on “TTIP,” Americans Should Too, But Obama Needs it for his Legacy
"As almost always, the U.S. government and European Commission are on the same page, reading from the same script. This year they have one overriding goal in common: to create the world’s biggest “free” trade area by passing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) into national and supranational law on both sides of the Atlantic. To this end the White House is furiously lobbying Congress to grant it fast track authority for the passage of not only TTIP, but also TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership). It is to be Obama’s swansong legacy. And with the pro-“free” trade Republicans firmly back in control on the Hill, he’s almost certain to get what it wants. As such, TPP and TTIP negotiations will likely remain closed off from the public until the deals are finalized, by which time it will already be too late: just as happened with the passage of NAFTA in 1994, a largely compliant Congress will sign along the dotted lines without questioning what they’re actually signing into existence. While some members of Congress are quite happy to waive their rights to actively participate in the lawmaking process, others are wary of granting sole authority to documents that have yet to be seen. Here’s what independent senator Bernie Sanders had to say on the issue in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman: It is incomprehensible to me that the leaders of major corporate interests who stand to gain enormous financial benefits from this agreement are actively involved in the writing of the TPP while, at the same time, the elected officials of this country, representing the American people, have little or no knowledge as to what is in it. Unfortunately Sanders is one of a dying species of U.S. lawmakers who see their primary role as that of actually “making”, rather than rubber stamping, laws. As such, one can expect TPP and the TTIP to pass both houses with minimal trouble."
"As almost always, the U.S. government and European Commission are on the same page, reading from the same script. This year they have one overriding goal in common: to create the world’s biggest “free” trade area by passing the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) into national and supranational law on both sides of the Atlantic. To this end the White House is furiously lobbying Congress to grant it fast track authority for the passage of not only TTIP, but also TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership). It is to be Obama’s swansong legacy. And with the pro-“free” trade Republicans firmly back in control on the Hill, he’s almost certain to get what it wants. As such, TPP and TTIP negotiations will likely remain closed off from the public until the deals are finalized, by which time it will already be too late: just as happened with the passage of NAFTA in 1994, a largely compliant Congress will sign along the dotted lines without questioning what they’re actually signing into existence. While some members of Congress are quite happy to waive their rights to actively participate in the lawmaking process, others are wary of granting sole authority to documents that have yet to be seen. Here’s what independent senator Bernie Sanders had to say on the issue in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman: It is incomprehensible to me that the leaders of major corporate interests who stand to gain enormous financial benefits from this agreement are actively involved in the writing of the TPP while, at the same time, the elected officials of this country, representing the American people, have little or no knowledge as to what is in it. Unfortunately Sanders is one of a dying species of U.S. lawmakers who see their primary role as that of actually “making”, rather than rubber stamping, laws. As such, one can expect TPP and the TTIP to pass both houses with minimal trouble."
Martin Luther King assassinated by US Govt: King Family civil trial verdict
"Dr. Martin Luther King’s family and personal friend/attorney, William F. Pepper, won a civil trial that found US government agencies guilty of assassination/wrongful death. The 1999 trial, King Family versus Jowers and Other Unknown Co-Conspirators, is the only trial ever conducted on the assassination of Dr. King. The King Center fully documents the case, with full trial transcript. The overwhelming evidence of US government complicity found valid by the jury includes:"
"Dr. Martin Luther King’s family and personal friend/attorney, William F. Pepper, won a civil trial that found US government agencies guilty of assassination/wrongful death. The 1999 trial, King Family versus Jowers and Other Unknown Co-Conspirators, is the only trial ever conducted on the assassination of Dr. King. The King Center fully documents the case, with full trial transcript. The overwhelming evidence of US government complicity found valid by the jury includes:"
“Next Time Around The Feds Are Going To Have To Confiscate Stuff”
"Events are moving faster than brains now. Isn’t it marvelous that gasoline at the pump is a buck cheaper than it was a year ago? A lot of short-sighted idiots are celebrating, unaware that the low oil price is destroying the capacity to deliver future oil at any price. The shale oil wells in North Dakota and Texas, the Tar Sand operations of Alberta, and the deep-water rigs here and abroad just don’t pencil-out economically at $45-a-barrel. So the shale oil wells that are up-and-running will produce for a year and there will be no new ones drilled when they peter out — which is at least 50 percent the first year and all gone after four years. Anyway, the financial structure of the shale play was suicidal from the get-go. You finance the drilling and fracking with high-yield “junk bonds,” that is, money borrowed from “investors.” You drill like mad and you produce a lot of oil, but even at $105-a-barrel you can’t make profit, meaning you can’t really pay back the investors who loaned you all that money, a lot of it obtained via Too Big To Fail bank carry-trades, levered-up on ”margin,” which allowed said investors to pretend they were risking more money than they had. And then all those levered-up investments — i.e. bets — get hedged in a ghostly underworld of unregulated derivatives contracts that pretend to act as insurance against bad bets with funny money, but in reality can never pay out because the money is not there (and never was.) And then come the margin calls. Uh Oh…."
"Events are moving faster than brains now. Isn’t it marvelous that gasoline at the pump is a buck cheaper than it was a year ago? A lot of short-sighted idiots are celebrating, unaware that the low oil price is destroying the capacity to deliver future oil at any price. The shale oil wells in North Dakota and Texas, the Tar Sand operations of Alberta, and the deep-water rigs here and abroad just don’t pencil-out economically at $45-a-barrel. So the shale oil wells that are up-and-running will produce for a year and there will be no new ones drilled when they peter out — which is at least 50 percent the first year and all gone after four years. Anyway, the financial structure of the shale play was suicidal from the get-go. You finance the drilling and fracking with high-yield “junk bonds,” that is, money borrowed from “investors.” You drill like mad and you produce a lot of oil, but even at $105-a-barrel you can’t make profit, meaning you can’t really pay back the investors who loaned you all that money, a lot of it obtained via Too Big To Fail bank carry-trades, levered-up on ”margin,” which allowed said investors to pretend they were risking more money than they had. And then all those levered-up investments — i.e. bets — get hedged in a ghostly underworld of unregulated derivatives contracts that pretend to act as insurance against bad bets with funny money, but in reality can never pay out because the money is not there (and never was.) And then come the margin calls. Uh Oh…."
Argentine prosecutor who accused Cristina Kirchner over 1994 bombings found dead
"An Argentine prosecutor who accused President Cristina Kirchner of covering up Iran’s involvement in the country’s worst ever terrorist attack has been found dead, hours before he was due to present his evidence in parliament. Alberto Nisman, 51, had spent the past decade investigating the 1994 bombings of a Buenos Aires Jewish centre, which killed 85 people. Two years ago he began working on a 300-page dossier – due to be presented to a parliamentary committee on Monday afternoon – which used extensive wiretaps to unravel the mystery of the attack at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building (AMIA), for which no one has ever been convicted. He knew that the revelations in his dossier were going to cause a huge outcry. The stridently anti-Kirchner newspaper Clarin said that he had told one of their reporters on Wednesday: “I could be dead by the end of this.”
"An Argentine prosecutor who accused President Cristina Kirchner of covering up Iran’s involvement in the country’s worst ever terrorist attack has been found dead, hours before he was due to present his evidence in parliament. Alberto Nisman, 51, had spent the past decade investigating the 1994 bombings of a Buenos Aires Jewish centre, which killed 85 people. Two years ago he began working on a 300-page dossier – due to be presented to a parliamentary committee on Monday afternoon – which used extensive wiretaps to unravel the mystery of the attack at the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association building (AMIA), for which no one has ever been convicted. He knew that the revelations in his dossier were going to cause a huge outcry. The stridently anti-Kirchner newspaper Clarin said that he had told one of their reporters on Wednesday: “I could be dead by the end of this.”
Wife, daughter and writer of controversial FEMA camp movie ‘Gray State’ dead in ‘murder-suicide’
"The lead writer of a controversial movie was found dead along with his wife and daughter in a Minnesota home Saturday afternoon. Officers went to the house Saturday after a neighbor called to report bodies inside. Three people were found dead and have been identified as screenwriter David Crowley, his wife, Komel, 28, and their 5-year-old daughter. A statement from Apple Valley police Sunday morning said the case would be considered “an apparent murder-suicide” and the deaths would be investigated as suspicious. Next-door neighbor Collin Prochnow said he went to the house on Saturday to ‘gather packages that were sitting on the front steps’ when he looked inside and saw the bodies. rochnow told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the family had not been seen since Christmas and that a dog was also in the house. David Crowley had been the lead screenwriter for the movie Gray State which depicts a violent police state in post-crisis America as people reject government policy en masse in frustration over economic collapse and the breakdown of society. A Daily Mail article reported on the murders in the paper’s typical style of detailed gossip but failed to link the deaths to Crowley’s work on the movie, despite exploiting “conspiracy theory” stories for web traffic. The film covers elements of conspiracy about FEMA camps which refer to the militarized police state response to civil unrest including forced detention camps and the liberal use of deadly force against unarmed people."
"The lead writer of a controversial movie was found dead along with his wife and daughter in a Minnesota home Saturday afternoon. Officers went to the house Saturday after a neighbor called to report bodies inside. Three people were found dead and have been identified as screenwriter David Crowley, his wife, Komel, 28, and their 5-year-old daughter. A statement from Apple Valley police Sunday morning said the case would be considered “an apparent murder-suicide” and the deaths would be investigated as suspicious. Next-door neighbor Collin Prochnow said he went to the house on Saturday to ‘gather packages that were sitting on the front steps’ when he looked inside and saw the bodies. rochnow told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the family had not been seen since Christmas and that a dog was also in the house. David Crowley had been the lead screenwriter for the movie Gray State which depicts a violent police state in post-crisis America as people reject government policy en masse in frustration over economic collapse and the breakdown of society. A Daily Mail article reported on the murders in the paper’s typical style of detailed gossip but failed to link the deaths to Crowley’s work on the movie, despite exploiting “conspiracy theory” stories for web traffic. The film covers elements of conspiracy about FEMA camps which refer to the militarized police state response to civil unrest including forced detention camps and the liberal use of deadly force against unarmed people."
Virginia’s New Anti-NDAA Detention Bill Turns the Table on Feds
"A bill introduced in the Virginia assembly would take the next step in stopping illegal federal kidnapping under the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Virginia stood alone and passed the first bill in the country addressing detention provisions written into the NDAA in 2012. That law forbids state agencies, in some situations, from cooperating with any federal attempts to exercise the indefinite detention provisions written into sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act. HB2144, sponsored by Del. Benjamin L. Cline (R – House District 24), takes things two steps beyond simply refusing to cooperate with the federal agents in the event of indefinite detention in Virginia. This bill turns the tables and systematically creates the type of leverage and attention D.C. would not want public if it refuses to cooperate with the state of Virginia. This legislation would require two things from the feds if it detains a U.S. citizen in the state of Virginia."
"A bill introduced in the Virginia assembly would take the next step in stopping illegal federal kidnapping under the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act. Virginia stood alone and passed the first bill in the country addressing detention provisions written into the NDAA in 2012. That law forbids state agencies, in some situations, from cooperating with any federal attempts to exercise the indefinite detention provisions written into sections 1021 and 1022 of the National Defense Authorization Act. HB2144, sponsored by Del. Benjamin L. Cline (R – House District 24), takes things two steps beyond simply refusing to cooperate with the federal agents in the event of indefinite detention in Virginia. This bill turns the tables and systematically creates the type of leverage and attention D.C. would not want public if it refuses to cooperate with the state of Virginia. This legislation would require two things from the feds if it detains a U.S. citizen in the state of Virginia."
Wall Street banks slash FIFTY THOUSAND jobs and reduce bonuses and expenses as profits continue to dry up
"It is home to the world's largest stock exchange. But now, Wall Street in New York has seen nearly 50,000 jobs slashed by its biggest banks. In a move that has shocked many pundits, a number of banks including Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan have cut thousands of jobs, as well as bonuses and expenses money. The changes, announced last week, come as as profits opportunities are increasingly drying up. Although some analysts were left stunned by the financial and job cuts, others believe there were a number of warning signs in advance, the New York Post reported. These include lower trading and commodities revenues, currency risks and the lower trending of long-term interest rates. In the fourth quarter, thousands of bank employees were fired."
"It is home to the world's largest stock exchange. But now, Wall Street in New York has seen nearly 50,000 jobs slashed by its biggest banks. In a move that has shocked many pundits, a number of banks including Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan have cut thousands of jobs, as well as bonuses and expenses money. The changes, announced last week, come as as profits opportunities are increasingly drying up. Although some analysts were left stunned by the financial and job cuts, others believe there were a number of warning signs in advance, the New York Post reported. These include lower trading and commodities revenues, currency risks and the lower trending of long-term interest rates. In the fourth quarter, thousands of bank employees were fired."
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