The newest and hottest this spring in the terrorist gadget line, all the way from Pakistan: Bicycle Bombs! What next, terrorist teenagers with skateboard bombs?!
Biking militants die when bomb explodes prematurely – CNN.com ( http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/24/pakistan.bomb.ap/index.html )
The same day that British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced the ‘withdrawal’ of 1,600 British troops from the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the deployment of Prince Harry’s regiment, the Blues and Royals (apt name…) is said to be ‘almost certain’.
If deployed, Prince Harry, or Troop Commander Wales as he is known to his colleagues, will be in charge of an 11 man reconnaissance team equipped with 4 light armoured Scimitar tanks. So not exactly a desk job to keep him out of harms way, but rather to throw him right in the middle of it…
The last time that a senior Royal Family member has seen military action was in 1982, when Prince Andrew, Harry’s uncle, was a helicopter pilot in the Falklands conflict. When’s the last time any member of congress or the White House administration picked up a gun and headed of to war, and not speaking figuratively? We are talking about the grandson of the Queen of England here… When’s the last time a child or grandchild of a US President head off to war?
The United Kingdom has some 7,100 troops in the southern part of Iraq, and is hoping to cut that number down to 5,500 ‘within the next few months’, with an additional 500 hopefully called home by the end of the summer. The UK military presence in Iraq will contin
ue into 2008, ‘for as long as [they're] wanted and have a job to do.’
Although the number of British forces to be withdrawn seems small, one must remember that initially the UK sent in some 45,000 soldiers in April 2003, and has gradually lowered the number of UK forces in Iraq.
So, on one had you have the UK, who, to some extent, is succeeding in its mission in securing Basra (again, to a degree), withdrawing troops and relinquishing control of the area to the Iraqis. On the other hand you have the US, who still maintain a force of some 132,000 soldiers in Iraq, and are now sending in an additional 21,500 troops, all the while (atleast seemingly) failing in their mission. It seems that the methods of operating in Iraq between the US and the UK are complete opposites. Lessons to be learned here, perhaps?
I’m not implying that the American troops are not pulling their weight in Iraq or are otherwise doing a lousy job. Those 132,000 US troops are doing the best they can under the circumstances, and probably could do a better job, if their job wasn’t hampered by political mishandlings and other such burdens, both from the American generals and politicians in Iraq and Washington, and the Iraqi powers in charge over there. Someone in charge needs to get a clue, and fast. Sure, Baghdad is a whole different ballgame compared to Basra, but apparently things aren’t working out too well in the capital…
On a final note, let’s theorize about the deployment of Prince Harry to Iraq, and let’s try to look at the pessimistic aspects of what could happen to him over there. Let’s say he dies or is wounded in the line of duty by a) the insurgents, b) an accident c) friendly-fire:
a) an IED blows up his Scimitar tank and him with it. What would the British reaction in relation to the war in Iraq be? I could see it three ways. One, the remaining troops are withdrawn hastily, due to immense uproar back in the UK over
the war. Two, the British parliament sends in hundreds, if not thousands, of extra troops to finally eradicate all insurgency in the south. Three, the nation mourns but the soldiers in Iraq stay the course and finish the job.
b) same as part three of the above
c) US war planes shot up a regiment of British soldiers travelling in Scimitar tanks in 2003, killing one soldier. What if it happened again? How would the cooperation between the UK and the US change if it happened to Prince Harry’s regiment? Would the UK immediately pull all its troops from Iraq? Politically, it’s hard to say, but you know how the British public would react to it…
In any case, worst-case scenario for southern Iraq is that the presence of a very valuable target in Basra could bring more insurgent attacks on the city, undermining the efforts and results the British have undergone in recent months in trying to bring peace to the area. Let’s hope for the best. Not just for England and Prince Harry, but also for the peaceful civilians of Basra…
Sources:
BBC NEWS UK Prince Harry ‘to be sent to Iraq’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6383747.stm
BBC NEWS Politics Blair announces Iraq troops cut
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6380933.stm
A Bartow County, Georgia, couple had installed $1,200 worth of video cameras and a radar gun outside their home to catch speeders in their neighborhood and convince people to slow down for safety. It’s good to see people take a genuine interest in the safety of their neighborhood, and things were rolling on smoothly until their surveillance system tagged a cop driving part at 17 mph over the posted speed limit.
The officer was able to come up with an excuse to dodge the penalty for speeding, and is now planning on pressing charges against the couple for stalking. Yes, stalking.
The couple were “allegedly stalking a Kennesaw police officer by installing cameras to track neighborhood speeders.” I’m sorry, but if the cameras were installed to track neighbourhood speeders, how exactly are they stalking someone who happens to speed by?
Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/19/citizens-catch-cop-speeding-with-cameras-radars-face-arrest/
As of this April, first-time adult passport applicants will be called to face-to-face, 10-20 minute interviews, which “will be “vital” in helping crack identity fraud.” (Identity fraud costs the UK an estimated £1.7bn a year.)
The interviews will affect some 600,000 people each year, and from 2009, interviews will also be compulsory for the millions more people who apply to renew lost, stolen or expired passports each year.
Now for the math portion: there’ll be 610,000 first-time applicants each year, some 10% of the total applicants. There were 1,700 confirmed frauds detected last year.
74% of fraudulent cases were first-time adult applications. And here’s the final math:
Approx. 6 million applicants each year.
Out of all 1700 confirmed cases, 1258 were new applicants, 442 renewals etc.
One confirmed fraud for every 3530 applicants.
Out of first-time applicants, who the new system targets, one confirmed fraud in 477 cases.
Out of other applicants, one confirmed fraud in 12217 cases.
So we’re talking about inconveniencing a lot of people, some who’ll have travel up to two hours for a short interview. Sure, its obvious that this new system is targeting the right demographic, but in doing so is adding unnecessary bureaucracy to the system, and added burden on the people.
The new system is being compared to the added airport security which people face each time they travel by air, an inconvenience which the people are expected to endure (and we do, because there’s no alternative), just to get to travel. And we do so to feel safer. It’s a good comparison, since the new system will really just be another hindrance to smooth travelling. The new system will cut down on ‘chancers’, but won’t deter professional fraudsters.
So how’s about these (theoretical) solutions?
Pretty soon all the fun has been sucked out of air travel… Adding more inconvenience to cover up outdated methods and equipment and goverment agency mishandlings is getting out of hand. The people can’t be made to live in fear and submission forever…
It wasn’t really the article which interested me, but the picture that came with it. That has to be one of the ugliest creatures I’ve seen in a while. The story was entitled “Science finds new ways to regrow fingers“, which in itself is a pretty interesting read, but the more and more I look at that picture, I feel slightly sickened, yet oddly captivated by it. It’s always interesting to think what these scientists think in the morning when they wake up. “Today, I’m going to grow feathers on a salamander.” Atleast they didn’t have a picture of a salamander with five fingers growing out of its back… Click on the image to see it larger.
Sources:
The article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070219/ap_on_sc/regrowing_fingers
The photo: http://news.yahoo.com/photo/070215/480/ny49202151651;_ylt=AsYale7IWZ5Efrzn.n36nrVxieAA
By now everyone’s probably heard that a bomb went off in a McDonald’s in St. Petersburg, Russia yesterday. Sure, this happens every now and then, what with McDonald’s being a symbol of American capitalism and all. There was one thing in the news reports which I’ve read online that caught my attention. In today’s world, the word “Bomb” is always coupled with the word “Terrorism” or “Terrorist”, unless used in the sense of military bombs. For example, “the bomb that killed x number of people in the market square was believed to be the work of so and so terrorists”, or “the bombing of the train is being investigated as an act of terrorism”. In this bit of news, the Russian Police are investigating the bombing of the St. Petersburg McDonald’s as “an act of hooliganism” and have opened a criminal case “under the article of the Criminal Code of attempted murder of two and more persons” and the police doubt that this was an act of terrorism. They’re not looking for terrorists, but young vandals and hooligans, in other words, criminals. Had this bomb gone off in a McDonald’s in let’s say France or the UK, the police would most likely be treating it as an act of terrorism. What if it had happened in America?
The only reason I can think of in this difference of thinking and labelling is that maybe the Russians can differentiate between a strong criminal act and an act of terrorism, something that the western world is having problems with. One has to take into consideration that Russia is better aware of terrorism than the western world, especially America, and has dealt with it in the past on numerous occasions. Maybe America and it’s allies don’t yet know what the true definition of terrorism is…
Sources:
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/02/19/russia.blast/
http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/artikkeli/1135225215438
Some time ago I heard of a documentary that someone was making, demonstrating evidence that 9/11 was an inside job, among others discrepancies within the events, undermining their validity. I finally found the video on YouTube and DailyMotion. (not that I’ve really been looking that hard.) The documentary makes a lot of good, solid, and absolutely valid points, provoking one to actually think “what if?” There are plenty of these videos, short clips and full feature documentaries. “Loose Change” is the one I’ve heard most about, but there are several other really interesting ones. “9-11 Mysteries-Demolitions” and “Improbable Collapse : The Demolition of our Republic” both focus on the collapse of the World Trade Centers. The reason I preferred “Loose Change” is because of it’s entertainment factor. I will not state whether or not I believe in the 9/11 conspiracy theories, or if I believe that the US Governement was behind the acts of terrorism. The reason I’m posting these videos is to provide another side of the news. Which one is the correct interpretation of the events of September 11th, 2001, that’s for you decide on your own. You know the official story, here’s another version or two.
I’ve embedded the three parts of the documentary “Loose Change, 2nd Edition” in this post. Alternately, you can watch them on YouTube, (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), or watch the entire video on Google Video or on DivX Stage 6 (download available).
Loose Change, Second Edition, Part 1
Loose Change, Second Edition, Part 2
Loose Change, Second Edition, Part 3
There are MANY MANY websites devoted to September 11, 2001, hundreds of which are devoted to trying to uncover the truth behind 9-11. I’m only listing the ones which I browsed through whilst looking at these few videos.
Videos:
Loose Change, Part 1 (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGEb40o17yE
Loose Change, Part 2 (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOVWBQKUpsU
Loose Change, Part 3 (YouTube)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtV1uxYnu0w
Loose Change, Full (Google Video)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7866929448192753501&q=loose+change+recut
Loose Change, Full, High Quality (DivX Stage 6)
http://stage6.divx.com/Louder_Than_Words/show_video/1005782
9/11 Mysteries – Demolitions (Google Video)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6708190071483512003
Improbable Collapse : The Demolition of our Republic (Google Video)
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4026073566596731782
Websites:
http://www.truth911.net/
http://www.improbablecollapse.com/
http://www.loosechange911.com/
http://www.physics911.net/
Several days ago it was reported that the FBI had lost 160 laptops in the last four years, some 51 of them containing sensitive information. Before that, the FBI had misplaced over 300 laptops in a space of just over a few years. Every newspaper article in print and online that I’ve come across this story in (and that’s not too many), not a single one mentions any kind of punishments for those responsible for the losses or thefts. Better yet, the situations where the agents have lost these laptops as well as weapons are in a few cases ridiculous; unlocked cars, leaving them behind at restaurants, grocery stores, restrooms, etc… With reports of identity thefts in the news frequently due to mishandling of laptops, data, or just plain human stupidity, I haven’t heard of any punishments for those responsible. It’s always either an announcement of the fact that they’ve been lost, with little or no information or apology, or in some cases just a simple “oops, we were stupid. Sorry, we’ll try not to do it again” statement.
0 (€1,464,000/$1,922,000) for the theft of ONE laptop from an employee’s house, a laptop which contained banking information from some 11 million of the corporation’s clients. Now how many people have the FBI and other institutions, universities and corporations compromised due to their “mishaps”? The BBC article mentions that it is not known whether Nationwide fined, fired or disciplined the employee in question or not, but one would think the company might wanna do that, considering the cost of the ordeal to the company, in terms of money and image. Guess the FBI didn’t feel the need to, seeing as people’s view of the bureau is already tarnished, and it’s just another instance of a big OOPS! [Note: The BBC website has some pretty good information to turn to in case of Identity Theft. CNN, not so much...]
Sources:
FBI loses laptops with classified information – CNN.com ( http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/12/fbi.laptops/index.html )
FBI still losing laptops, weapons – Homeland Stupidity ( http://www.homelandstupidity.us/2007/02/13/fbi-still-losing-laptops-weapons/ )
BBC NEWS Business Nationwide fined for stolen laptop ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6360715.stm )
Hello Minority Report! Welcome 1984! With all the possibilities of science, why exactly are scientists focusing on building scanners that can read your intentions? Anyhow, the story here is that a team of world-leading scientists have developed a powerful technique which enables the user to read another person’s intentions before they commit an act. Sure, this will become handy when paroling inmates, or checking suspects and other possible evil-doers. In theory.
What about the implications to the rest of us? The new technique can read your intentions. But what about the difference between passing thoughts and real intentions? That’s deeper than just reading what’s on your mind right now. And, moving on deeper, secrets, fantasies, passwords, etc… If this technique is ever completed and perfected, what’s to stop it from becoming mandatory in everyday life? Sure, the scientists working on this are equally concerned of the possible implications of the mind-reading technique, but say that they are minimizing the risks. Um, sure, in the right hands there are little or no risks. What about in the hands of someone with the desire to rule and control? Show me one future leader portrayed in futuristic movies in a controlled, minimal privacy society who actually cared for his or her people and made life enjoyable for them…
Thankfully, this is all still a long long way from actually becoming a useful, everyday practise, but it’s on it’s way. Slowly but surely…
Sources:
Neuroscientists read people’s intentions with brain scan – Engadget
Slashdot | Brain Scanner Can Read People’s Intentions
The brain scan that can read people’s intentions | Science | Guardian Unlimited
Here’s a lovely example of idiotic budgeting, decision making, and bureaucracy. With billions
going into Homeland Security spending each year in America, why exactly can’t the money be put to good use throughout the system, instead of throwing it to communities in ridiculous quantaties, whilst stipulating what they can and cannot use the moeny for? Here’s a perfect example of money thrown into the wrong jar:
The fire departmentof Cheshire, Massachusetts, needed a new fire truck, and turned to the government to lend a hand, and ended up getting a lot more than what they expected: a $665,962 homeland security grant. That amount is 26 times the annual budget of the volunteer fire department in the town of 3,500. And here’s the best part: Under the terms of the grant, the department is not allowed to spend it on a fire truck.
So, instead of getting a bit of money to buy a new firetruck or refurbish an old one, the town of Cheshire won a grant to fortify the ranks of its volunteer brigade. I guess one can see this from the bureacraut’s point of view: more men equals more carriers of water. No need for a truck, especially as it’s a small town and all…
But wait a minute, how does a small town in Massachusetts receive such a sizable amount of money out of the budget of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)? Their website, (www.dhs.gov) gives little answer to the question.
Maybe the Department of Homeland Security can better explain why. A spokeswoman for the DHS said that the money comes from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants, a program that was absorbed into the DHS after the agency was established follow Sept. 11th. The spokeswoman said that the town “presented a multifaceted project proposal“, and that the grant could be spent over four years. How it will be spent, there was no elaboration. Except, that they can’t buy the truck firetruck.
The Cheshire Fire Department wrote tw
o grant requests, one for the $175,000 fire truck and the other for upping the ranks of its 29-member volunteer force. Still, $665,962 sounds a little too much. And, wasn’t this supposed to be about National Security? The town does have the Cheshire Cheese Monument, a sizable concrete sculpture of a cheese press commemorating a 1,450-pound cheese hunk given by town elders to Thomas Jefferson in 1801. But I doubt anyone has yet studied its value as a terrorist target yet, or is there something we don’t know?
And why exactly is more and more money going into the mainland and small towns, whilst the towns which might need it, such as Boston, New York, and Washington. These cities complained last year that their homeland security grants were lowered, whilst the small town got more than they bargained for. Cheshire, the smallest town in Massachusetts to get a grant (it also ranks 266th in the state in terms of population), but received the largest grant in Massachusetts. And the story continues all around the country…
The money will now be put to use to hire more volunteer fire fighters, especially from amongst high schoolers, and to reimburse the volunteers lost wages whilst on duty. The town council is to meet to decide just where the money will end up. Still, even with all that excess money and possibilities, there are still pressing matters in Cheshire, according to the firechief;
“We really needed the truck.”
Sources:
Homeland Security spending: idiotic pork – Boing Boing
Firefighters’ windfall comes with a catch – The Boston Globe
U.S. Department of Homeland Security | Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program |
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