Tag Archives: occupy

Business/Economics, International

One Year Later: Abandoned Japanese fishing boat makes it way back home

A ghostly reminder of the March 11, 2011, Mega Quake and tsunami that hit north eastern Honshu, Japan, made its way back home.

The boat belonged to a fisherman from Otsuchi in Iwate Prefecture.  Otsuchi is one of the coastal towns devastated by the tsunami.  The fisherman did not survive the monster tidal surge, but his boat amazingly did.

Nearly one year after the disaster the ravaged boat was found drifting, more than 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away, on the other side of Japan, in the Sea of Japan (aka East Sea).  It was returned to the fisherman’s son, who lives in Kamaishi City.

The son said he intends to repair the boat and go fishing.

Business/Economics, International

What Global Warming? Record low Beer sales hit Japan

Sales of Japanese beer, and beer based drinks, hit all time lows in February, 2012.

Japanese brewers shipped less than 360,000 kiloliters (95,101,938 U.S. liquid gallons), that’s the lowest amount in February since such record keeping was started in 1992.

Nippon beer makers blame the cold weather!  They say demand dropped in the areas of Japan that were hit hard by unusual cold temps and heavy snowfall.  They also blame being forced to make more non-alcoholic drinks.

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: U.K. directing U.S. Terror Drone attacks? Britain being sued

The London based charity Reprieve, and the law firm Leigh Day & Company, are suing the British Foreign Secretary William Hague.  They say they have evidence that the United Kingdom, specifically the Foreign Office, has been directing U.S. terror drone (UAV) attacks in Pakistan.

They claim that Britain’s signals intelligence agency (GCHQ/SIGNIT) are “secondary parties to murder” because they provided information to the U.S. CIA.  That information was used to launch drone strikes that have killed hundreds of Pakistanis.

 

Business/Economics, Technology, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Pocatello, Idaho, doctor & ISU faculty member failed at autopsies

The Idaho Board of Medicine is investigating complaints that Steve M. Skoumal screwed up at least ten autopsies. It was brought to the attention of the Board mainly because the local  police questioned the results.

In one case Skoumal, a faculty member at Idaho State University in Pocatello (in Bannock County), ruled three deaths were caused by carbon monoxide poisoning.  But, local Rexburg police (in Madison County) said that didn’t match with x-rays, or the fact a recently fired gun was found at the scene, or the fact that there were bullet holes in the victims.

Supporters of Skoumal say the police are just upset because he didn’t give them the answer they wanted to hear.

But this case brings up a good point; Idaho does not have standardized, dedicated, official local government coroner services.  In many cases families of the deceased have to pay for a pathologist to conduct an autopsy, as one Pocatello doctor/lawyer said: “…people who brought the bodies have to pay for the doctor to do more autopsy or less autopsy.”-Richard Hearns

There is a state code concerning coroners, but in some Idaho counties coroners are elected.  In other counties they are hired from local doctors.  Officials say the tax revenues are not enough to support a dedicated 24/7 coroner (although taxes are pretty high here).

Skoumal is connected to three high profile cases in eastern and southeastern Idaho: Unsolved Madison County deaths, the death of a Bingham County woman whose granddaughter was prosecuted for homicide, and the 2006 murder of Pocatello High School student Cassie Jo Stoddart (fortunate the murderers incriminated themselves with their own video).

Skoumal is accused of misreading toxicology reports, being unable to determine knife wounds and bullet wounds.  One of the complaints filed with the Board of Medicine accused him of not being a pathologist, he admitted he was not a certified pathologist.

It could be another year before the Idaho Board of Medicine holds an Administrative Hearing regarding the complaints.

 

 

 

Influenza

Pale Green Horse & H5N1: Korea hit by bird flu, wild birds die in Hong Kong, more cases in Vietnam, more human deaths in Indonesia, can be transmitted through your eye

South Korea officials reporting that bird flu has hit their country.  45 chickens died from bird flu, however, they are conducting more thorough tests to determine which strain of bird flu it was.

In Vietnam, officials thought they got things under control after more than 400 poultry died in February, but now, a new outbreak has been reported to the UN’s World Health Organization.

Bangladesh is reporting a fourth case of human H5N1 infection. The man was found to be infected, on February 26, after government mandated testing for live poultry market workers.  So far no deaths.

Indonesia has seen another human death from H5N1.  A 12 year old boy died on 21 February 2012.  He was in contact with poultry, but investigators say none of the birds are showing any sign of H5N1.

As of the beginning of March, farmers in Bhutan have killed off more than 1,300 poultry to stop the spread of H5N1 there.

Officials in Hong Kong are reporting an increase in the number of wild birds dying from H5N1.  Normally H5N1 attacks domestic birds.  It’s believed that wild birds can get it from eating contaminated chicken feed.  However, most of the dead wild birds in Hong Kong were not near any poultry farms.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says H5N1 can be spread by rubbing your eyes after handling sick birds.  The CDC said several types of flu viruses can travel through your eye and cause upper respiratory infection.

I looked and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him.  They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.

PALE GREEN HORSE & H1N1: MEXICO HAS 166 DEATHS SO FAR FOR 2012, COSTA RICA SAYS FLU “UNUSUAL” THIS YEAR

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? A sign the Federal Reserve thinks the too big to fail banks are full of crap!

“They’re very worried about the consumer. If we go into another recession, a lot of risk officers feel this is where the damage will be done.”-Paul Miller, former Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, currently working for FBR Capital Markets

It appears the Federal Reserve is losing patience with the Too Big To Fail Banks (TBTFB). It’s questioning the TBTFBs’ desire to pay out huge dividends, and buy back their stocks.

“If the Fed fights back and disagrees and is more aggressive in their stance on cards and mortgages, it would mean banks wouldn’t be able to pay out as much.”-Glenn Schorr, Nomura Securities

Schorr says bank investors are almost demanding 50% to 60% earnings this year!

The problem is that the latest bank stress tests are conflicting with the TBTFB’s own financial claims.  The stress tests are designed to see if a bank has enough cash on hand to handle a sudden huge drop in the economy.

So far unnamed insiders, involved with analyzing the tests, say things aren’t looking good for banks.  When the variable of consumer debt is considered in the stress tests, some banks would suffer almost double the loses than their own in-house projections!

31 TBTFBs are currently undergoing the Federal Reserve stress test.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

World War 3: Egypt considers refusing any more U.S. aid, in move to end U.S. control

“I wish members of the U.S. Congress could listen to you now to realize that this is the parliament of the revolution, which does not allow a breach of the nation’s sovereignty or interference in its affairs! It seems that the government is pushing for a crisis with parliament.”-Saad el-Katatni, Egyptian Parliament Speaker

After the Obama Administration threatened to cut off U.S. aid to Egypt, over the scandal involving U.S. citizens caught trying to cause trouble in Egypt (including the son of the boss of private intelligence agency Stratfor), the Egyptian parliament members basically said take your U.S. aid and shove it!!!

On March 11, 2012, the parliament voted to refuse acceptance of U.S. aid worth $1.3 billion!

The problem is that it’s actually the pro-U.S. military junta that’s currently running Egypt.  However, the 508 member parliament has begun the process of a no-confidence vote against the junta.  Such a vote of no confidence could create more civil strife, if the junta tries to maintain power.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Government Evil: Racist NAZI Zionist Israel to build World’s largest prison, intended to hold Black people!

“We all wish we didn’t have to build such a facility. But we’re in a certain situation due to certain circumstances, and we need a facility to address these needs.”-unnamed Israeli Defense official

According to an article in The Independent, Israel is about to build the World’s largest “detention center”, designed to hold 8,000 Black African “migrants”!

“[it was time]…to stop this growing influx that threatens Israelis’ jobs and changes the character of the state.”-Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel

Most of the migrants are actually fleeing the wars in Sudan and Eritrea.  Israel has a policy of not returning refugees fleeing wars, so now they’ve decided to put them all in prison!

“People fleeing for their lives… will not stop coming because they face three years in detention.”-Reut Michaeli, Hotline for Migrant Workers

I wounder how many U.S. tax dollars are going to be used to build this World’s largest immigrant detention center?

 

 

International, U.S.

Government Evil: U.S. soldiers burn bodies of Afghan children they killed

“They (Americans) poured chemicals over their dead bodies and burned them. I saw that all 11 of my relatives were killed, including my children and grandchildren.”-Samad Khan, witness and relative to the victims

Breaking reports out of Afghanistan.  People are rioting because some Afghans say they caught U.S. led forces burning bodies.  The witnesses say among the bodies there were at least four girls under the age of six being burned!

Kuwaiti media say they bodies are from the early morning shooting that took place on March 11, 2012.  That’s when a U.S. soldier, or soldiers, open fired on an unarmed Afghan family in their home.

One of the witnesses to the burning of the bodies was the father of the girls being burned.

U.S. officials insist it was a lone renegade soldier, but witnesses say there was more than one U.S. soldier doing the shooting: “They were all drunk and shooting all over the place!”-Agha Lala, witness

Another witness said there was no provocation on their part: “No Taliban were here! No gun battle was going on! We don’t know why this foreign soldier came and killed our innocent family members! Either he was drunk or he was enjoying killing civilians!”-witness & relative to the victims

U.S. officials say the shooter is an Army Staff Sergeant from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, assigned to support special unit operations in Afghanistan.  An Associated Press photographer confirmed some of the bodies had been burned.

International, U.S.

World War 3: Israeli infantry launch another raid kill boy, more Israeli air strikes, Israel condemns U.S., Iran joins Egypt in condemning Israel

“The repeated assaults and aggressions of the Zionist regime’s military men against the defenseless Palestinian people in Gaza… are condemned as war crimes and inhuman acts.”-Iranian Foreign Ministry statement

On March 11, 2012, Israeli infantry raided east of the Jabaliya refugee camp in Gaza Strip, killing a 15 year old boy, and wounding another.

Also, late Sunday night, early Monday morning, it’s being reported that Israeli airforce F-16 Falcons/Vipers have bombed the same refugee camp, which is north of Gaza city, at least four times.  So far at least two people have been killed (a 65 year old man and his 35 year old daughter), and 25 people have been wounded, including nine children.

Israeli news sources are saying the Egyptian military government tried to warn Gaza that Israel was about to assassinate the secretary general of the Popular Resistance Committee (PRC).  That assassination turned out to be the precursor of this latest round of Israeli attacks on Gaza.

According to the Israeli media, PRC members were able to capture informants who confirmed to Hamas officials that they were paid by Israel to spy on PRC leaders.  The informants also confirmed that Egypt tried to warn of the assassination plot by Israel, the only problem is that the Egyptians gave that warning to the informants who were working for Israel.

Israeli media also reporting that at least 40 rockets have been launched from Gaza, Sunday night.  Several were intercepted over the city of Ashkelon.  Most of the rockets are being launched by Islamic Jihad and the Popular Resistance Committee.  Allegedly, Hamas has the most rockets but seems to be holding back.

Arrogant Israeli leaders are calling on the United Nations to condemn the puny rocket attacks from Gaza, so far only a handful of Israelis have been wounded.  Yet Israeli leaders see no problem with the fact they continue to kill hundreds of Palestinians every year!!!

Even more arrogant, Israeli politicians have condemned the Obama Administration’s call for cease fire: “I think that every American should be ashamed of such a statement coming from the administration.”-Danny Danon, deputy speaker of Israel’s Knesset (parliament)