Tag Archives: tea party

International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: NATO member Turkey deploys new SP anti-aircraft tanks to border with Syria

15 August 2012, one day after holding what was officially called ‘war games’ near the border with Syria, Turkey is now deploying Atilgan self propelled anti-aircraft missile batteries to the border.

The Atilgan is a Turkish designed Pedestal Mounted Air Defence System (PMADS) firing U.S. designed Stinger missiles. The PMADS is mounted on a U.S. designed M113 Armored Personnel Carrier (APC).

It’s interesting that even the Turkish media said yesterday’s war games were actually show of force preparations against Syria.

There are also reports that Turkey is expanding their air force operations at Sazgin Airport.  The same airport was used for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Also, on 13 August the Turkish government held emergency meeting regarding Syria.  The meeting included local government leaders from towns along the border with Syria.

Idaho, U.S.

West Nile Virus: Texas declares emergency, 16 dead, 381 infected. New cases across the United States, CDC first reported that cases were lower than last year!

“Texas is on track to have the worst year ever for West Nile virus.”-Christine Mann, Texas Department of State Health Services

“We’re in a fight we can’t win on the ground.”-Zach Thompson, Dallas County Health Department

15 August 2012, the mayor of Dallas, Texas, has just declared a health emergency.  A health emergency has also been declared for Dallas County. Reports say between 14 and 16 people in Texas (10 in Dallas County alone) have now died from West Nile, a type of Japanese encephalitis virus.

As of 13 August 2012, there were 381 reported cases in Texas. In all of 2011 only 27 cases were reported in Texas.  In the city of Houston, officials say that 90% of tested mosquitoes show they are infected with the virus.  The emergency declarations allows local officials to conduct massive aerial spraying operations to kill mosquitoes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at least 24 people, in the United States, have died.  42 states are reporting cases, but 80% are concentrated in Texas, Oklahoma (55 infections and one death) and Louisiana and Mississippi (both with 39 infections and one death).

Massachusetts has just reported their first case: “Today’s announcement is a compelling reminder that people should take simple, common sense steps to protect themselves against mosquito bites and the illnesses they can cause.”-Al DeMaria, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Illinois has reported a new case. DuPage County Health Department says a woman in her 50s is infected. She lives in the Chicago suburb area. So far there are seven confirmed infections in that state.  Officials say the cases are showing up earlier than normal, most people got infected in July.

Minnesota is also reporting cases that are showing up sooner than normal.

California is reporting one death and 18 infections.

On 14 August, North Carolina reported their first West Nile death.

New York has ordered a second round of truck spraying to kill mosquitoes in Nassau County.

Indiana and Ohio are reporting higher than normal amount of cases.

Officials, from many states, are blaming a warm winter and wet spring for the mosquito outbreak.  But here in Idaho we did not have a wet spring, in fact we’re so dry that our wildfire season started months early!  Yet, Idaho now has three case of humans infected with West Nile. Eight Idaho counties are reporting that mosquitoes are testing positive for West Nile.

The CDC is not sure why there’s a sudden increase in West Nile cases: “It is not clear why we are seeing more activity than in recent years.”-Marc Fischer, CDC

But maybe the CDC is out of touch? According to the Guardian Express, as recently as last week the CDC’s own website had posted much lower case numbers than what were being reported by state health officials: “Either they are short on staff and have fallen behind or something more disturbing is at work.”

Now the CDC has declared West Nile an epidemic!

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. occupation of Afghanistan; 12 Aug – 14 Aug. Coordinated bombings. Cops shoot U.S. led occupyers! Claims of new Pakistani attacks! U.S. to attack Pakistan!!!

14 August 2012

In Kunduz Province, late Tuesday night a motorcycle bomb went off, killing at least ten people and wounding 30 others.

In Nimroz Province, at least 30 people are dead, 60 wounded, after coordinated suicide bombings.  Suicide bombers launched their attack on the city of Zaranj.  Afghan police killed three bombers before they exploded themselves, but three other bombers were successful. The local police chief is among those killed. Local officials say the attackers are not from Nimroz Province.

In Kunar Province, local government officials claim the Pakistani military launched another attack on Afghan border posts.  A local security official said the Pakistani attack started at 04:00 hours, with artillery fire.  Afghans returned fire, and the battle lasted four hours.  At least one person killed, five wounded.

13 August 2012

In Nimroz Province, police killed two men they say were trying to launch a suicide attack on the city of Zaranj.

In Nangarhar Province, an Afghan policeman fired on U.S. led occupying troops.  NATO/ISAF officials say no one was hurt, the policeman fled the scene.  Local police officials say two occupying troops were wounded, along with one Afghan government troop.

Also in Nangarhar Province, a bomb went off near a Mosque in Jalalabad city, wounding five people.

International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) will launch ground attacks on Mujahideen in Pakistan.  This is according to the Speaker of the House in Afghanistan’s parliament: “All complaints in regards to cross border incursion by Pakistan should be submitted to the coordinative center. ISAF will visit the area and conduct operation against the militants inside the Afghanistan soil and if complaints were received regarding cross border incursion by militants then ISAF will conduct operations with the Pakistani troops inside the Pakistan soil.”-Abdul Rauf Ibrahimi

According to Ibrahimi, USMC General John Allen told the Afghan parliament leaders that a new plan has been developed.  U.S. led occupying forces, along with Afghan government forces and Pakistani government forces, will work together to surround an area of Pakistan that is known as a safe haven for Mujahideen.  The Pakistani government has apparently agreed to allow U.S. ground troops into Pakistan to do battle with the Mujahideen.

In Ghazni Province, Mujahideen hanged a man after he kidnapped a child and then demanded ransom for its safe return.

In Takhar Province, a town mayor, and four other local government officials, were assassinated with a bomb.

In Kunar Province, local government officials claim the Pakistani military fired 45 rockets into their province.

ISAF stated: “Afghan and coalition security force arrested a senior Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan leader in Chahar Darah district, Kunduz province, today.”

The Defense Ministry of Afghanistan reported three Afghan soldiers killed, five wounded, in battles in Logar, Paktiya, Maidan Wardak and Helmand provinces.

12 August 2012

A political analyst in Afghanistan says it is the way the U.S. led occupiers are treating the Afghan government forces that’s causing the “green on blue” attacks: “…Afghan officers, even high ranking officers are being treated with a great deal of contempt by low ranking American officers, or low ranking NATO officers, in fact I have first hand observations on several occasions that Afghan colonels have been treated like dirt, if you will, by an American captain!”-Mohammed Daoud Miraki

In Herat Province, a village elder was assassinated when gunmen shot him in his house. His wife was wounded.

In Laghman Province, the provincial governor and his three bodyguards were killed when they drove over a mine.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology

Nuclear Disaster Reactors: Belgium shuts down nuke plant; cracked containment vessel, emergency international meeting!

14 August 2012, the Federal Agency for Nuclear Control is shutting down Reactor 3 at the Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium.

Workers discovered cracks, and other ‘anomalies’, in the containment vessel.  The reactor was built by a company that went bankrupt 40 years ago. Dozens of nuclear plants across western Europe use the same design.

Belgian officials have called for an emergency meeting, with international experts, to be held on 16 August.  Belgium gets 50% of its electricity from nuclear power.

Fukushima

One Year Later: Dogs & cats still abandoned in radiation zones, government now searching for owners. Other pets forced into shelters because owners can’t keep them.

14 August 2012, the Japanese government is now trying to find owners of hundreds of abandoned pets in the 11 March 2011 disaster areas.  Last year the Environment Ministry was able to pick up 750 dogs and cats and place in shelters, 300 are still unclaimed.

Government officials believe there are still hundreds of abandoned pets still living in the radiation zones.

The prefectural government of Fukushima is asking people who are known to have lost their pets if they want them back, or not.  Fukushima officials say they have contacted at least 1,000 people so far.  Officials say they will try to find homes for pets that are no longer wanted, and they will continue to try and capture those pets still loose.

Some owners fear their pets are radioactive, others say they can not afford to take in their pets as they are living in temporary housing, and many owners are still unemployed.

NHK (nippon housou kyoukai/Japan Broadcasting Corporation) recently ran a sad documentary about pets who are being kept in private shelters, until the owners can take them back. The owners are paying for the shelters.  However, in one sad example, the owners of one old dog were finally able to take their dog back only to learn that their dog died just days before they arrived at the shelter.

Visit American Humane Association  Visit globalanimal.org

ONE YEAR LATER: FRESH WATER FISH MORE RADIOACTIVE THAN SALT WATER FISH! MORE PROOF THAT YOU NEED LOTS OF SALT IN YOUR DIET!

GOVERNMENT INCOMPETENCE: MORE RADIOACTIVE BEEF SOLD TO PEOPLE, JAPANESE CATTLE FARMERS ARE NOW BEING TOLD NOT TO USE LOCAL FEED, FARMERS SAY ADVISE IS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE

Fukushima

One Year Later: Fire & new radiation leak at Fukushima Daiichi!

14 August 2012, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCo) said a new radioactive water leak has been found, coming from Reactor 4.

This morning a worker found a 350 square meter (1,148 square feet) room on the first floor of the reactor building flooded, about one centimeter (0.39 inch) deep.

The water is contaminated with 77,000 becquerels per milliliter of cesium.

TEPCo officials think the water might be coming from a pipe that is transferring contaminated water from Reactor 3 to a storage tank.  The pipe runs next to Reactor 4 building.

Also this morning, workers discovered a fire in a water pump.  The pump is used in a building that is used for filtering contaminated water.  They used fire extinguishers to put out the fire.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Corporate Evil: 90% of Too Big to Fail banks’ lawsuits falsify credit card debt!

The following are quotes from U.S. state judges, attorneys and federal government officials regarding the Too Big to Fails’ lawsuits against debtors:

“I would say that roughly 90% of the credit card lawsuits are flawed and can’t prove the person owes the debt.”-Noach Dear, civil court judge Brooklyn, New York

“Our concerns center on the fact that debt collection lawsuits are a pure volume business. The documentation is very bare bones.”-Tom Pahl, Federal Trade Commission

“I do suspect flaws, but there is little I can do.”-Harry Walsh, superior court judge Ventura, California

“This is robo-signing redux.”-Peter Holland, Consumer Protection Clinic at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

The quotes came from a New York Times article

Idaho, U.S.

Idaho getting smoked! State health officials concerned. Firefighter killed in action! Flying boats join battle.

13 August 2012, while the Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Center isn’t reporting any new fires, that doesn’t mean the rest of the state isn’t on fire.

On 12 August 2012, more than 11 wildfires across the state burned at least 500 square miles (804.6 kilometers).

Today, things are so bad in the Boise foothills that a DC-10 Very Large Tanker (VLT) has been called in.  The Ourada Ranch Fire grew 70 acres (28.3 hectares) in less than one hour!

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In northern Idaho, a firefighter lost her life when a tree fell on her.  Anne Veseth was fighting the Steep Corner Fire, near Orofino, on 12 August.  Fire officials are investigating.

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is concerned about the amount of smoke in the air, all across the state. On 12 August health officials raised warnings, saying it could be days before the heavy smoke clears out.

The smoke is not just from wildfire in Idaho, but from huge fires in northern California and northern Nevada. Officials say weather and geography are playing a big part in smoking out Idahoans: “…when you get stagnant conditions, no wind, no real movement, everything just kind of sits on top of the whole area…”-Mike Toole, DEQ

Idaho, International, U.S.

4th annual Eastern Idaho Scottish Games, Chubbuck Days

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11 August 2012 wasn’t just the annual Chubbuck Days festival, at Cotant park, it was also the 4th annual Eastern Idaho Scottish Games Heavy Athletic Event!

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www.eastidahoscots.org

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. Navy collides with Japanese oil tanker in Persian Gulf

12 August 2012, on the same day that Japan announced it was sending minesweepers to join the U.S. Navy in the Persian Gulf, a USN destroyer collides with a Japanese oil tanker.

It happened in the middle of the night, near the Hormuz Strait.  The USS Porter is badly damaged and must be repaired.  No injuries were reported. The USN is investigating why the crew of the USS Porter did not see the huge Japanese oil tanker.

There has been no word about damage to the tanker.

Japan had recently allowed the government backing of insurance for Japanese tankers carrying Iranian oil, as a way to get around U.S./European sanctions.  Japan also discussed with Iran the possibility of using Iranian insurance companies.