Thursday, March 13, 2014

14-03-13 US under the Greater Depression: Power outages

===14-03-13 US under the Greater Depression: Power outages===
Visiting India some years back, I was initially surprised by the large billboards advertising flash lights. Later, I understood that it reflected the common power outages.
I do agree with the conclusion that the situation in the US in this regard is a sign of 3rd world conditions.
I do not agree with the interpretation, that it is necessarily a sign of "aging electrical infrastructure".
The grid in the US is largely computerized today, and at least in the case of Enron and power outages in California in the 90s, it later turned out to be part of criminal activity by Enron - deliberate programming of electrical power outages to bilk California of billions in a scam that involved Ross Pero and EDS...
IN SHORT:
The 3rd world characteristic in this matter is not necessarily reflection of aging infrastructure, but may be at least in part reflection of rampant corporate corruption...
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C'mon America ... Let's Keep the Lights On
The Daily Take, The Thom Hartmann Program: Mass power outages are a sign of this nation's aging electrical infrastructure, which is stuck in the 19th century. We need to diversify our energy providers on the local and community levels, and we need a variety of forms of energy.
Read the Article

http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=1sNNSrjlJw40kDzxHhU65Fn%2FRqvpCCFD

14-03-13 US under the Greater Depression: NYC homeless population soars

By Lauren Gambino, The Guardian
Coalition for the Homeless paints a bleak picture but expresses hope about De Blasio administration. 
http://act.alternet.org/go/44299?t=19&akid=11594.1117888.2Wv9-5

14-03-13 US: Misc news of the abuse - cops beat unarmed father to death...

By Jodie Gummow, AlterNet
The shocking incident of police brutality was caught on video by the man's wife, who is left only to wonder why. 
http://act.alternet.org/go/44294?t=8&akid=11594.1117888.2Wv9-5

14-03-13 US: CIA covers up its torture program from US Senate

===14-03-13 US: CIA covers up its torture program from US Senate===
By Robert Scheer
Feinstein vs the CIA: A Moment of Truth
It was a truly historic momentTuesday when Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Dianne Feinstein took to the Senate floor to warn that the CIA's continuing cover-up of its torture program is threatening our constitutional division of power. The spy agency now acts as a power unto itself, and the agency's outrages have finally aroused the senator's umbrage.
READ MORE
http://org2.salsalabs.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=iVeIiuj0rkKB3CsuXUf4CePgapBBviu7

Sen. Feinstein has never done anything about CIA or NSA spying abuses, but now that the CIA has been caught spying on her Intel Committee, she's 'Shocked, shocked!" writes TCBH! journalist Dave Lindorff

14-03-13 Hello world!

Recent:
3/13 @ 7:52 : Seattle, Washington, US
3/13 @ 7:20 : Mountain View, California, US
3/13 @ 6:48 : Lehi, Utah, US
3/13 @ 6:43 : Richmond, Virginia, US
3/13 @ 6:35 : Brooklyn, New York, US
3/13 @ 6:34 : Frankfort, Kentucky, US
3/13 @ 6:25 : India, IN
3/13 @ 5:47 : Wayne, New Jersey, US
3/13 @ 5:43 : Amsterdam, NL
3/13 @ 4:22 : Alger, DZ

14-03-13 UKRAINE: Endless scams


13/3/2014 Ukraine

Kiev snipers were shooting from building controlled by#EuroMaidan forces.

Former chief of Ukraine’s Security Service has confirmed allegations that snipers who killed dozens of people during the violent unrest in Kiev operated from a building controlled by the opposition on Maidan square.

Shots that killed both civilians and police officers were fired from the Philharmonic Hall building in Ukraine’s capital, former head of the Security Service of Ukraine Aleksandr Yakimenko told Russia 1 channel. The building was under full control of the opposition and particularly the so-called Commandant of Maidan self-defense Andrey Parubiy who after the coup was appointed as the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Yakimenko added.

Furthermore the former security chief believes that Parubiy has been in contact with US Special Forces that could have coordinated the assault.

“Shots came from the Philharmonic Hall. Maidan Commandant Parubiy was responsible for this building. Snipers and people with automatic weapons were ‘working’ from this building on February 20. They supported the assault on the Interior Ministry forces on the ground who were already demoralized and have, in fact, fled,” Yakimenko said in an interview with Russian television.

The police officers were chased by a group of rioters armed with various weapons and at that point, Yakimenko says snipers fired at pursuers themselves.

“When the first wave of shootings ended, many have witnessed 20 people leaving the building,” former chief says, noting that they were well-equipped and were carrying military style bag for carrying sniper and assault rifles with optical sights. Not only the law enforcers, but people from the opposition’s Freedom, Right Sector, Fatherland, and Klitschko’s UDAR party have also seen this, Yakimenko claims.

The former security head also said that according to the intelligence those snipers could be foreigners, including mercenaries from former Yugoslavia as well former Special Forces employees from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry.

Yakimenko claims that Parubiy was part of a group that was heavily influenced by the people associated with the US secret services. “These were the forces that carried out everything that they were told by their leadership – the United States,” Yakimenko explained, claiming that Maidan leaders practically lived in the US embassy.

According to Yakimenko, during the massacre the opposition leaders contacted him and asked him to deploy special force unit to scoop out the snipers from buildings in central Kiev, but Parubiy made sure that won’t happen.

“The Right Sector and Freedom Party have requested me to use the Alpha group to cleanse these buildings, stripping them from snipers,” Yakimenko said. According to him Ukrainian troops were ready to move in and eliminate the shooters.

“I was ready to do it, but in order to go inside Maidan I had to get the sanction from Parubiy. Otherwise the ‘self-defense’ would attack me in the back. Parubiy did not give such consent,” Yakimenko said noting that the Maidan leader had full authority over the access to weapons on Maidan, and not a single gun including a sniper rifle could get in or out of the square.

Aleksandr Yakimenko’s account supports previously voiced concerns over unknown snipers shooting both protesters and the police indiscriminately – who were the topic of the recently leaked phone conversation between EU’s Catherine Ashton and Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet (http://rt.com/news/estonia-confirm-leaked-tape-970/)

In a leaked phone conversation that took place February 26 Ashton and Paet discussed rumors that snipers were hired by some of the opposition leaders.

“There is now stronger and stronger understanding that behind the snipers, it was not Yanukovich, but it was somebody from the new coalition,” Paet said during the conversation. “I think we do want to investigate. I mean, I didn’t pick that up, that’s interesting. Gosh,” Ashton answered.

Almost 100 people were killed and another 900 injured during the violent standoff near Maidan Square in Kiev last month that forced president Yanukovich out of the country and installed a new government. Ukrainian self-proclaimed authorities maintain that the shooting was authorized by Yanukovich.

On Wednesday Moscow suggested setting up a probe to investigate the crimes perpetrated by extremist and armed elements of the opposition over the past three months. The proposal to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) also seeks to examine the legitimacy of the post-coup Ukrainian government.

Source1: www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/yakimenko-blames-maidan-organizers-for-hiring-snipers-us-for-financing-revoultion-in-ukraine-339179.html
Source2: www.rt.com/news/ukraine-snipers-security-chief-438/


14-03-12 PALESTINE: Settler in Hebron is caught in barbed wire, while trying to climb on a Palestinian roof- IDF to the rescue

===14-03-12 PALESTINE: Settler in Hebron is caught in barbed wire, while trying to climb on a Palestinian roof- IDF to the rescue==
[עברית להלן]
=Surrealism in Hebron: Settler invades a home, caught in barbed wire, soldiers help him.=
The settler tried to remove a Palestinian flag, flying over the roof of a Palestinian home. The soldiers demanded that the Palestinian remove the flag, and threatened his arrest if he would not comply.
__
The soldiers addressed the Palestinian after the settler, who tried to remove the flag was caught in barbed wire.
Last Saturday, the settler arrived at the home of Shadi Sider, a Palestinian from Hebron, living the Jewish enclave in the city. The settler climbed to the roof, trying to remove the flag. After he was caught in the barbed wire, IDF soldiers came and rescued him. Shortly afterwards, several soldiers and an officer arrived and told Sider to remove the flag. They claimed that the instruction came from the higher local IDF command.
Things heated up, and the soldiers threatened Sider with arrest. Then the officer called the local higher command and informed them that there were cameras on location. "Do you want me to forcefully remove the flag?" the officer was heard asking. Ten minutes later the soldiers left, saying that they would return with an arrest warrant.
+++
סוריאליזם בחברון: מתנחל פלש לבית ונתקע בתיל, החיילים התייצבו לצדו=
המתנחל ניסה להוריד את דגל פלסטין שהוצב על גג ביתו של פלסטיני. החיילים דרשו מהתושב להסיר את הדגל ואיימו כי יעצרו אותו אם לא יציית =להם
חיים לוינסון 12.03.2014 
חיילי נח"ל ביקשו מפלסטיני להוריד את דגל פלסטין שהוצב על גג ביתו בחברון, ואיימו עליו במעצר אם לא יעשה זאת. החיילים פנו לפלסטיני לאחר שמתנחל שניסה להוריד את הדגל בעצמו הסתבך בחוט תיל.
בשבת האחרונה הגיע המתנחל לביתו של שאדי סידר, פלסטיני מחברון המתגורר סמוך לבית הדסה. המתנחל טיפס אל גג הבית וביקש להוריד את דגל פלסטין שנתלה שם. עם זאת, הוא הסתבך בחוט תיל שנתלה במקום ונתקע, עד שחייל צה"ל שהגיע למקום חילץ אותו. זמן קצר לאחר מכן עלו כמה חיילים בפיקודו של קצין, וביקשו מסידר להוריד את הדגל. לדבריהם, ההוראה התקבלה מהחטיבה.
הרוחות במקום התלהטו והחיילים איימו על סידר במעצר. בסופו של דבר צלצל הקצין לחטיבה והודיע כי יש במקום מצלמות. "את רוצה שאוריד אותו בכוח?", נשמע הקצין אומר. כעבור עשר דקות עזבו החיילים את המקום ואמרו שיחזרו עם צו.

http://www.haaretz.co.il/news/politics/.premium-1.2268329
VIDEOS:
Settler caught in barbed wire:
http://bcove.me/cl1kcgzb
Soldiers to the rescue:
http://bcove.me/0274nvc9