Tag Archives: u.s.

Technology, U.S.

Facebook denies acting as government spy, but, at the same time confirms it

“We don’t respond to pressure, we respond to compulsory legal process. There has never been a time we have been pressured to turn over data — we fight every time we believe the legal process is insufficient. The legal standards for compelling a company to turn over data are determined by the laws of the country, and we respect that standard.”-Facebook spokesman

That’s the response from Facebook, who says they do not ‘automatically’ process info for governments.  Julian Assange, of WikiLeaks, says he has evidence that social media sites have had to deal with so many requests by governments, for user’s account info, that they simply hand it over automatically.

However, Facebook does not deny that they hand the government info on users, in fact Facebook has a specific department for that, called “CIPP-certified professionals”.  The CIPP is supervised by two former federal cyber crime prosecutors.

Facebook also admitted that they would like to deal with less of these cases, and, are looking for a legal way not to comply with government demands for info.

International, U.S.

Iraqis say Israeli warplanes seen on U.S. base in Iraq

A source close to prominent Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sader, say they have seen Israeli aircraft on the al-Asad air base in Iraq.

The aircraft have been taking part in night time training exercises.  The unnamed source says the exercises are part of preparations to attack Iran.

This is not the first time that Israeli aircraft have operated in Iraq.  In 2008 Iraqi government officials reported that the U.S. was allowing Israeli planes to land and take off form bases in Iraq.

International

Saudi Arabia annexing Bahrain, build base alongside U.S. naval base, preparation for war with Iran

“There are no Saudi forces, there are GCC [Gulf Cooperation Council: Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates ] forces and they will leave when they are done with any external threat. The external threat is a regional one. The external threat is a complete misunderstanding between the GCC and Iran.”-Sheikh Khaled Ben Ahmed Al Khalifa, Bahrain Foreign Minister

Saudi led forces will stay in Bahrain until further notice.  There is also rumors that they will build a base alongside the U.S. Navy base, military sources report that some of the U.S. Fifth Fleet piers and facilities will be made available to the Saudi navy.  The Bahraini government admitted that Saudi led forces will remain until there is no more “threat” from Iran.  No details were given.

Oppression of the Shia majority in Bahrain is escalating, with reports of Saudi and Bahraini forces going into hospitals and dragging off patients.  Saudi forces have also destroyed dozens of Shia Mosques.  70% of Bahrainis are Shia.  The ruling family of Bahrain are not Shia.

On April 30, President Obama asked King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa of Bahrain   to respect for the universal rights of the people of Bahrain.

International, U.S.

Osama bin Laden buried at sea, why? Official says following Islamic Law. Bullsh*t NO SUCH LAW

John Brennan, homeland security and counter terrorism adviser to President Obama, says Osama bin Laden’s body was hastily buried at sea, after the Sunday special military operation that supposedly killed him.

Why?  Does the United States have a new policy of burying at sea any enemy of the state?  Anyone watching the Sunday night U.S. media frenzy about the supposed killing, should remember how journalists were sure bin Laden’s body would be shown, as other bodies had been shown.

The U.S. government says they were trying to follow Islamic Law, which says a body should be buried at sea within 24 hours of death.  Since when did the U.S. government start following Islamic Law!?  Not only that, but ask any Muslim and there is no such law, someone is full of sh*t!

I checked, and it is against Islamic Law to bury a Muslim at sea!  Muslims must be buried in the ground!

Also, more lies, U.S. media reported that the Pakistani government was involved, but there are reports coming out of Pakistan that say otherwise.  President Obama said in his Sunday night announcement that Pakistan was informed, but a U.S. official counters that saying: “We shared this intelligence on the compound with no other country, including Pakistan.”

 

Business/Economics, International

Sign of the times: Fast Five showing in Russia before United States

Fast five had a midnight opening, April 29, in the United States.  But, the Vin Diesel, U.S. franchise success, opened in Russia first.

In fact Vin Diesel told Russian media, on opening night in Moscow, that he “…wanna shoot a movie in Moscow so badly…”, adding that “…when you see Fast Five, you’ll hear Mia and Brian talk about Russia a lot.”

Fast Five opened in more than 10 countries, in the week prior to opening in the U.S., and has become the top money maker in most of those countries.

So what’s the sign of the times? The big money for “Hollywood” movies is not to be found here in the U.S. anymore, no thanks to the bad economy.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Chrysler paying back government loans, borrowing from Peter to pay Paul

Chrysler announced that it will pay back the U.S. and Canadian governments (taxpayers), but not because of increased profits.

Chrysler is trying to get money from private lenders, in order to pay back the government loans.  This is a sign that Chrysler doesn’t think it can pay back the taxpayers, based on its sales/profits.

Also, Chrysler is hoping the private loans will be at lower interest rates, than what it’s paying to the governments.  The interest rate for the U.S. loans are between 7%-14%, and the Canadians up to 20%.  Gee looks like they didn’t get a deal, like most corporations.  Is it because Chrysler is owned by a foreign company?

International, Opinion, U.S.

Most “Americans” will NOT watch royal wedding, U.S. media all over it, proof U.S. media controled by British Empire

A CNN poll said 75% of U.S. citizens will not watch the royal wedding.  ABC’s own online poll currently shows (as I write this) 427 are not “excited about the royal wedding”, 185 said yes they were “excited”.

Here in eastern Idaho a local TV station (KIFI, Idaho Falls) did their own local poll, the results: 54% said they will NOT watch the royal wedding, 15% answered “what royal wedding”?

Yet U.S. media is going to spend most of the day covering a foreign event.  In fact CNN, apparently in hopes of getting more favorable results, tried a new poll: still, 62% said “Not at all” interested in the royal wedding.

This is the United States, not the United Kingdom, or any other part of the commonwealth/empire (at least officially).  We are anti-royalty, anti-monarchy, we fought a Revolution against the British (today’s United Kingdom) for that reason (as well as unfair taxation).

Why is the U.S. media so bent on covering a foreign spectacle?  Lets see, Fox News is really owned by commonwealther/imperialist Australian Rupert Murdoch.  He only got U.S. citizenship to placate U.S. laws that said only U.S. citizens could own TV stations.  He became a U.S. citizen one year before he created Fox.  And he’s bought out many other U.S. media venues, including the Wall Street Journal.

Murdoch is in regular communication with the evil British Empire: “…were in regular communication……there is nothing unusual in the prime minister talking to Rupert Murdoch.”-Former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s official spokesman

Is Fox News going to cover the royal wedding? You bet!  When are the loyal viewers of Fox, who think they’re true blue conservative Americans, going to wake up and realize that their precious Fox News is run by a red coat limey Imperialist!

Will ABC (American Broadcasting Company, not to be confused with Australian Broadcasting Corporation), NBC and CBS cover the wedding? Yes!

Our own mainstream media conducts polls that show most Americans don’t care about a so called royal wedding, yet our mainstream media is going to blast us with royal wedding crap. That should tell you who they really work for, and who their true target audience is!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

I told you, “Watch the Commodities Market”, more bad signs of inflation

The Commodities Market “…is sending us the mother of all price signals. The prices of all important commodities except oil declined for 100 years until 2002, by an average of 70%. From 2002 until now, this entire decline was erased by a bigger price surge than occurred during World War II.”-Jeremy Grantham, GMO LLC

I recently wrote a post that advised people to stop paying attention to stock markets, and start watching commodities markets.  Jeremy Grantham’s research shows why.

According to Grantham, commodities prices (oil, gas, food, clothes, metals, etc) have been going up for the last eight years, big time.  The Federal Reserve has been downplaying inflation, until recently, but Grantham’s research shows inflation has been with us for a while.  He also claims the last eight years has seen the biggest jump in commodities prices since World War 2 (see, wars are not good for the economy, unless you become the world’s arms dealer and can stay out of any actually fighting).

Grantham says the rise of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) has also affected commodities, possibly permanently: “I believe that we are in the midst of one of the giant inflection points in economic history. The world is using up its natural resources at an alarming rate, and this has caused a permanent shift in their value.”

Grantham explains why everyone should pay attention to commodities, rather than stocks: “…stock prices and they can be, often are, psychologically flakey. But commodities are made and bought by serious professionals for whom today’s price is life and death.”

Grantham says commodities are truly affected by supply and demand, so, with the booming economies of the BRICS, and the ever growing and expanding War on Terror, all of which increase demand for limited supplies, viola, long term inflation!

“We all need to adjust our behavior to this new environment. It would help if we did it quickly.”-Jeremy Grantham, GMO LLC

Business/Economics, U.S.

WalMart says; What Economic Recovery?

“Purchases are really dropping off by the end of the month even more than last year. This end-of-month [purchases] cycle is growing to be a concern.”-Mike Duke, CEO WalMart

WalMart executives are doubting claims of an economic recovery, because their sales are down.

Most WalMart shoppers are low income workers who live paycheck to paycheck.  CEO Mike Duke said because of inflation (which official government agencies deny is happening) their customers are running out of money, faster than ever.

Duke admitted that WalMart had to raise prices on produce, but tried to compensate by lowering prices on electronics, but you can’t eat electronics.

WalMart officials are now going to try to lower all their prices, in the hopes it might boost their falling sales.