Archive for February, 2011
Gaddafi Has Ordered Security Services to Start Sabotaging Oil Pipelines
Former CIA field officer Robert Baer writes in TIME:
There’s been virtually no reliable information coming out of Tripoli, but a source close to the Gaddafi regime I did manage to get hold of told me the already terrible situation in Libya will get much worse. Among other things, Gaddafi has ordered security services to start sabotaging oil facilities. They will start by blowing up several oil pipelines, cutting off flow to Mediterranean ports. The sabotage, according to the insider, is meant to serve as a message to Libya’s rebellious tribes: It’s either me or chaos.
Two weeks ago this same man had told me the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt would never touch Libya. Gaddafi, he said, had a tight lock on all of the major tribes, the same ones that have kept him in power for the past 41 years. The man of course turned out to be wrong, and…
O Magazine Touts The Wonders Of Ecstasy
The Oprah Magazine comes out in favor of MDMA as a therapeutic wonder drug, attempting to dispel hysterical, ‘rave’-related media cliches (propagated by Oprah herself, among others) along the way. Writer Jessica Winter tried MDMA for the first time for the sake of the article, and describes the enormous personal benefit she gained in the weeks after:
To a layperson, the notion of using a drug like Ecstasy as a therapeutic tool for healing trauma might make as much sense as adding cocaine to a diabetic’s weight loss regimen. Ecstasy was the signature stimulant fueling a worldwide party culture in the 1980s and ’90s, epitomized by massive all-night dance “raves” crammed with blissed-out revelers and pulsating with electronic music at festivals and exurban warehouses across North America and Europe.
Yet MDMA’s beginnings were innocent, even banal. In 1912 it was included as an intermediate chemical in a patent that the German pharmaceutical company…
Fan-Created Trailer for ‘E.T. Sequel’ Shows Why We Should Never Trust Aliens (Video)
Great remixing and animation job by the filmmaker here, no wonder why the little guy always wanted to “phone home” … cool find from Cyriaque Lamar on io9.com:
Robert Blankenheim and Derek Johnson Productions have created a trailer for ET-X: Extinction, an unnecessarily gritty and violent sequel to Steven Spielberg’s family-friendly blockbuster.
In this preview, grown-up footage of Henry Thomas and Drew Barrymore is spliced with generic disaster flick scenes (starring an authoritative Morgan Freeman, natch) and new animation of the red-eyed, cobra-necked extraterrestrials:
Immigration Officer Put Wife On Terrorist List To Prevent Her Coming Home
Come on guys, the War on Terror is a serious matter! From Great Britain, hijinks ensue as immigration officials put their nagging wives on the terrorist watchlist to prevent their returning from overseas vacation. The Daily Mail reports:
An immigration officer tried to rid himself of his wife by adding her name to a list of terrorist suspects.
He used his access to security databases to include his wife on a watch list of people banned from boarding flights into Britain because their presence in the country is ‘not conducive to the public good’. As a result the woman was unable for three years to return from Pakistan after traveling to the county to visit family.
The tampering went undetected until the immigration officer was selected for promotion and his wife name was found on the suspects’ list during a vetting inquiry. The Home Office confirmed today that the officer has been sacked for…
Are Republicans More Likely to Molest Children Than Democrats?
And if so, why?
Armchair Subversive posts a long list of Republicans who have been charged, arrested, or even pleaded guilty to molesting children or teenagers and related crimes:
- Republican aide, Alan David Berlin, was arrested on charges that he wanted to engage in sex acts with a 15 year old boy while dressed in a panda costume.
- Fox News producer Aaron Bruns pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years for possessing child pornography.
- Republican activist and former presidential campaign chairman Jeffrey Claude Bartleson was arrested on charges of sexually molesting a 5-year old boy.
- Republican activist and former chairman of the Christian County Republicans Royce Fessenden pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree child molestation and one count of second-degree statutory sodomy.
- Republican parole board officer and former legislator George Christian (Chris) Ortloff pleaded guilty to attempting to lure 11- and 12-year-old girls to have sex with him.
Read the rest of the list here. Meanwhile, TripMarz555 posts a much…
Mobile Phones Shown To Affect Human Brain
Well now we know for sure that holding a mobile phone next to your head does something to you — although it’s not entirely clear if the radiation is good, bad or indifferent (but I know which one I’d place money on). Shirley Wang reports on a new study for the Wall Street Journal:
Cellphone use appears to increase brain activity in regions close to where the phone antenna is held against the head, according to a new study, but researchers said the implications for health are still unknown.
The study is the first to demonstrate that radiation from the devices has a direct impact on some brain cells, and is likely to fuel a long-running debate over the safety of cellular phones…
A Case For Dystheism
Reb Shlomo
Finally, a theology that refreshingly harmonizes with the universe as we know it. Videos from the Reb Shlomo:
And for atheists:
Obama’s Change: More Tyranny and Oppression
Has anyone seen a change for the good? Or just more of the same … changes that will only leave us with less rights and money in our pockets. From Nathan Janes of PUPAGANDA.com:
In January of 2009, as the American economy teetered on the brink of economic collapse, the most prominent story within the mainstream media, called “the greatest mystery since Watergate,” was the selection of the Obama family pet. With the election of Barak Obama, many Americans, relieved that “change” was on the way, focused their attention on such trivial matters as the Presidential dog rather than the state of continual economic decline within our country. This phenomenon came on the heels of a successful election campaign where Americans were sold the Obama brand through terrific marketing and public relations. Everyone was buying “hope” and “change” with not only their votes but with their time and energy. The Obama campaign…
More Than Half Of America’s Pets Are Obese
The obesity epidemic is spreading from man to man’s best friend — in America at least. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) reports that:
Obesity continues to expand in both pets and people according to the latest pet obesity study. The fourth annual Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Study found approximately 53% of cats and 55% of dogs were overweight or obese. Preliminary data released from a nationwide collaboration with Banfield, the nation’s largest chain of veterinary clinics, reveals pet obesity continues to be a serious problem. APOP founder Dr. Ernie Ward remarks, “This year’s data suggests that our pets are getting fatter. We’re seeing a greater percentage of obese pets than ever before.”
32% of cats in the preliminary sample were classified as overweight by their veterinarian and 21.6% were observed to be clinically obese or greater than 30% of normal body weight. 35% of…
Scientists Study Brains Of Three-Year-Olds, Predict Future Criminals
Elizabeth Landau reports for CNN:
Who is going to grow up to become a criminal or psychopath?
Current research in genetics and neuroscience may point towards answers to this question, opening up a whole host of ethical questions about culpability, justice and treatment.
“Is there truly freedom of will, as the law assumes? Freedom of will may not be as free as many of us may think,” said Adrian Raine of the University of Pennsylvania.
Experiments by Raine have found that by looking at the brains of 3-year-old children, scientists could already see signs of potential trouble in the future. Raine discussed this research Monday at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Washington.
Those who had poor amygdala function at that time were more likely to become criminal offenders later in life, in the 20-year time span during which the scientists followed them. The amygdala is an almond-shaped brain area associated…
Madison, Wis. – The Cairo of the United States?
Disinfo reader Jacob H wrote to us about the Wisconsin labor union protests, saying “I wonder if the government is letting the media tell the nation how big this really is. Just the other day, there were over 30,000 people. Today maybe more. Here’s an edited video capturing the last three days”:
Back to the (Dystopian) Future: Scott Walker’s CV Explains a Lot
Is Scott Walker’s latest stunt in Wisconsin just an attempt at revenge for his own mediocre academic career? Let’s take a look at the facts.
Been busy days out here in Wisconsin, what with all the turmoil wrought by “Boy Wonder” Scott Walker’s genius pre-emptory activation of the armed forces. Clearly the man missed his calling as an FBI hostage negotiator.
As of the time of this writing, the basic facts of the matter remain as they have for nearly a week now: Scott Walker has called for, and the public employees unions have agreed to, major financial concessions. Which raises the question as to why there remains so much upset a week into the farrago. I mean, if this were really about saving $ and ¢, why would Walker have bothered to call in the national guard, starting the meter running on their active-duty pay [1] when unions have caved on the only issue? Why does Walker still…
Seattle Restaurant Refuses Service To TSA Workers
How do you show your dissatisfaction with the action of TSA agents? Some people decide to “opt out” of the body scanners. Some wear nothing but a bathing suit. Others decide to refuse service to TSA workers who come into their resaurant. Via The Consumerist:
Fed up with what he views as crappy treatment from the TSA, the owner of a restaurant near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport has decided to put all TSA agents on his No-Eat List.
“We have posted signs on our doors basically saying that they aren’t allowed to come into our business,” one employee tells travel journalist Christopher Elliott. “We have the right to refuse service to anyone.”
She says that whenever a TSA agent attempts to dine at the restaurant, “we turn our backs and completely ignore them, and tell them to leave… Their kind aren’t welcomed in our establishment.”
The restaurant claims that 90% of its patrons are in…
One Out Of Ten People Weren’t Fathered By The Man They Believe Is Dad
The following is the second chapter from my disinformation book, 50 Things You’re Not Supposed to Know: Volume 2, published in 2004. For more on me go to The Memory Hole or follow me @RussKick on Twitter.
Geneticists, disease researchers, and evolutionary psychologists have known it for a while, but the statistic hasn’t gotten much air outside of the ivory tower. Consistently, they find that one in ten of us wasn’t fathered by the man we think is our biological dad.
Naturally, adoptees and stepchildren realize their paternal situation. What we’re talking about here is people who have taken it as a given, for their entire lives, that dear old Dad is the one who contributed his sperm to the process. Even Dad himself may be under this impression. And Mom, knowing it’s not a sure thing, just keeps quiet.
Genetic testing companies report that almost one-third of the time, samples sent to them show that the man…
Datamining Hip-Hop’s History
Duncan Geere reports for Wired :
An artist named Tahir Hemphill wants to datamine 30 years of hip-hop lyrics to provide a searchable index of the genre’s lexicon.
The project analyzes the lyrics of over 40,000 songs for metaphors, similes, cultural references, phrases, memes and socio-political ideas. For each, it registers a date and a geographical location. Hemphill has raised more than $8,000 in funding for the project on Kickstarter, from 349 people.
The idea is so that important questions can be answered, like who was the first to mention “haters,”…
Daugther Of Malcolm X Arrested
Photo: Ed Ford, World Telegram Staff Photographer
How far does the apple fall from the tree? Malcolm X fought for civil rights, now his daughter is fighting the New York Civil Court. Huffington Post reports:
The daughter of Malcolm X was being held in a North Carolina jail and could be extradited to New York to face charges on several outstanding warrants, authorities said Monday.
Malikah Shabazz was arrested Friday night after authorities responded to a call to a Mars Hill home, said Chief Deputy Michael Garrison of the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Investigators found that the 45-year-old had several outstanding warrants from Queens, N.Y., that include charges for grand larceny, forgery and identity theft.
Garrison and her lawyer, Sean Devereux, said Shabazz is the daughter of slain civil rights leader Malcolm X, who is also known as El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz. She was born months after Malcolm X was assassinated exactly 46 years ago Monday.
[Continues at…
Mom Sentenced To Ten Years In Prison For Selling $31 Of Marijuana
Via Oklahoma’s NewsOK comes a story that is troubling from all angles. Obviously, this woman’s decision to sell marijuana out of her home will not earn her a place in the parenting Hall of Fame, but is a ten-year prison sentence as punishment truly just or to anyone’s benefit?
Because of $31 in marijuana sales, Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow is now serving 10 years in prison, has been taken away from her four young children and husband, and has ended her work in nursing homes.
Three days before Christmas, Spottedcrow, 25, entered the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center. “I’m nervous … because it’s prison … people I don’t know,” she said.
On Dec. 31, 2009, Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold a “dime bag” of marijuana to a police informant at Starr’s home in Kingfisher, court records state.
Starr handled the transaction and asked her 9-year-old grandson — Spottedcrow’s son — for some dollar bills…
Activists Target Bank of America With Feb 26 ‘US Uncut’ Invasion
The “UK Uncut” anti-austerity activities have brought British banks and stores to a standstill as activists demand that the beneficiaries of government bailouts pay their share of taxes. The success of the actions has inspired American activists to stage their own “US Uncut” measures with the first, targeting Bank of America, set for February 26, 2011. The organizers are recommending that participants watch the British video on how to do a “Bail-In”:
The group explains why BoA is the first U.S. target:
Despite ruining the economy with their reckless greed, Bank of America has consistently avoided any form of accountability…
China’s Footage Of Its New Fighter Jet Revealed To Be Dubbed From ‘Top Gun’
Twenty-first-century military brinkmanship looks a lot like an ’80s Tom Cruise movie. The Telegraph reports:
The footage showcasing the J-10 fighter, which showed an air-to-air missile destroying another jet, was aired last week during the main evening broadcast of the state-sponsored channel China Central Television.
Bloggers on internet message boards quickly picked up the similarities and the footage was removed from the CCTV website but not before the clip had been copied.
