Sunday, September 30, 2012

Clinton Provides $45 Million Additional Taxpayer Dollars to Syrian Rebels


Last week, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced forty-five million dollars in additional aid for Syrian opposition activists in the latest US push for influence in the civil war. Clinton announced the new aid package prior to meeting with visiting Syrian dissidents at the gathering of the United Nations General Assembly.

Clinton has admitted that groups on the US terror list are aiding and supporting the  Syrian rebels: "We have a very dangerous set of actors in the region, Al Qaeda, Hamas, and those who are on our terrorist list, to be sure, supporting claiming to support the opposition."

As US Solicitor General, Elena Kagan, currently a Supreme Court Justice, agreed with  the Supreme Court's upholding the broad sweep of the federal law banning "material support" for foreign terrorist organizations and with permitting the prosecution of anyone who gives any support to a terrorist group. She also discounted the "supposed First Amendment claims" raised by human rights advocates. Justice Antonin has also said that he sees no constitutional problems with the antiterrorism law. "If you provide any aid" to them, it "furthers their terrorist activity,"the Justice said.

In addition to that, Obama is allowing a US Syrian group to arm rebels, including al Qaeda:

"Administration officials say that outsourcing the supply of money and arms to the rebels maintains a crucial distinction that keeps American military fingerprints off a conflict that has already turned into a bloody civil war. 'It's not for us to determine what the donations are used for,' said one official, who requested anonymity to discuss administration thinking, describing a plausible deniability that might not be plausible to all. 'It could be for medical supplies.'"

The addition of forty five million dollars will bring the grand total of U.S. humanitarian aid for Syria to more than one hundred and thirty two million, this year alone.

Two Dead, One Injured, After Shooting in Florida

Two people are dead, and another was injured, after a shooting at a Florida Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

A charity motorcycle ride was set to leave from the Winter Springs post, Sunday morning.

Witnesses say a fight broke out, one or more people then left.

But then they came back with a group who opened fire on the crowd as they ate breakfast.

It is unclear if fire was returned.

When police arrived, they detained several people and confiscated some weapons, but never made any arrests.

Review: Looper

Looper looked great from the first preview, and it did not fail.

Joseph Gordon Levitt stars as Joe, who works for the mob in 2044, as a looper. Each looper has a location, they are given times, when that time comes a person from the future is sent back in time to their spot. As they appear the loopers shoot and kill them, that's their job.

But one day Joe's target is himself, a thirty year older version played by Bruce Willis. Can he kill his older self and stop him from ending the system? Or will they manage to work together to do it?

Time travel fans will love this movie, especially with it's two very subtle Terminator references. Action fans will not be disappointed either, the movie definitely gives it's all.

Levitt gives an amazing performance. Aided by some prosthetic help and makeup he truly does become the younger form of Willis.


Woman Shot and Killed After She Ran Into Border Patrol Agent

Valeria Alvarado was shot and killed, Friday, in San Diego, when she struck a border patrol agent.

Border patrol agents were attempting serve a warrant, on someone else, when Alvarado hit an agent with her vehicle and kept driving.

The agent ended up on top of her hood, but she would not stop.

After riding the hood for several hundred yards, the agent fired into the vehicle, several times, striking Alavarado and eventually killing her.

Witnesses say that the agents were in plain clothes, and not distinguishable as federal officers.

Alvarado's family says they want justice, for what they consider to be her murder.

Typhoon Jelawat Injures More Than a Hundred in Japan

Central Japan is reeling from being struck by Typhoon Jelawat, as it headed for Tokyo, Sunday.

Nearly one hundred and fifty people have been reported injured, from the storm, half of which occurred on Okinawa.

Ishinomaki evacuated ten thousand people while Nagoya advised fifty thousand people to evacuate low lying areas of the city.

Jelawat is moving at nearly eighty miles per hour, as it crosses Japan, on it's way to the Pacific Ocean.

The Mouth of Matuszak: Are Terrorists Trying to Meet End of Month Quota?

The morning news on September 30, 2012 brought some disturbing information.

The US death toll in Afghanistan passed the two thousand mark. This is not a statistic to be celebrated. It is a warning that the war there is far from over. The latest casualty comes from yet another infiltrator attacking US and Afghan Soldiers at a checkpoint. These attacks are designed to hamper relations and rot away at the already tenuous trust between the indigenous forces and the US military. They are planned and deliberate, many times with a target already selected.

Meanwhile, in the wake of Tariq al-Hashami's in absentia sentencing for using Iraqi forces and a private militia to run death squads against Shia'a political opposition, Iraq was again pock marked with attacks targeting Iraqi security forces and Shia'a pilgrims. Three VBIEDs detonated in the city of Taji. They targeted the homes of prominent Shia'a politicians and police checkpoints. Another VBIED detonated in the Iraqi town of Mada'in, targeting a bus loaded with Shia'a pilgrims from Iran. (Of note, other Iranian Shia'a pilgrims have been kidnapped in Syria recently). Another car bomb attacked pilgrims and Iraqi Security Forces in the town of al-Kut. There were also attacks in the former Al Q'aeda stronghold near Mosul as well as the town of Baqubah, where former al-Q'aeda Iraq leader Abu Musa'ab al-Zarqawi was killed by a US airstrike. The violence in Iraq killed a total of thirty-three people.

Meanwhile, in Nairobi, Kenya, children at a church based school were attacked by a grenade. The attack killed one child and wounded three others. This was most likely committed by the al-Q'aeda linked al-Shabab terrorist organization. Al-Shabab is one of the Islamic Terrorist groups that has seized control of southern Somalia. Earlier this week, the Kenyan military conducted a military operation to liberate the Somali town of Kismayo from the group, which maintained a stronghold in the city.

With the attacks over the past week, it almost appears as though terror groups are attempting to meet a monthly quota.

The attacks in Iraq come on the heels of a jailbreak near Tikrit that freed at least ninety criminals including several men described as "hardcore al-Q'aeda operatives". That jailbreak also involved the burning of evidential documentation and theft of source documentation identifying some detainees who were cooperating with intelligence investigations seeking insurgents and terrorists at large.

Taking other terrorist activities in the past few weeks into account, along with the UN's "general debate",  it should come as no surprise that these are not random. They are intentional and coordinated. It is as if a globally positioned subversive military group has mobilized into a world wide coordinated attack. Instead of a single, large scale, attention grabbing event, they are smaller-scale and designed towards a specific set of objectives. It almost appears as these are all military shaping operations in preparation for the next terrorist surge.



Original article at Mental Aikido.

41,000 GM Vehicles Being Recalled

Nearly forty-one thousand General Motors vehicles are being recalled.

A plastic part on the fuel pump could crack and leak fuel, which would cause a fire.

There have not been any reports of injuries or fires, the move is purely one of precaution.

The 2007-9 model of Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 and 2007 models of Chevrolet Equinox, Pontiac Torrent, and Saturn Ions are all effected by the recall.


It effects vehicles sold or registered in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Owners will be contacted by mail, and the part will be replaced, for free.

Grenade Thrown Into Kenyan Sunday School Class

One child was killed, and three others injured, when a grenade was thrown into a Sunday school class, in Nairobi.

The Somalian Al Qaeada wing, Al-Shabab, is being blamed for the attack.

A mob formed after the attack, armed with sticks and stones they moved into a Muslim neighborhood, injuring thirteen people.

Police arrived and separated the groups and calmed everyone down.

Thirty-three Dead in Iraq From Car Bombs

At least thirty-three people have been killed across Iraq, on Sunday.

Taji saw three car bombs go off, killing eleven and injuring dozens. Nearby buildings were destroyed in the blast.

One of Iraq's largest air force bases is located in Taji, but the attackers showed their terrorist nature, by instead going after residential areas.

In Baghdad, three more car bombs went off, killing eight and injuring eleven.

A bus carrying Iranian pilgrims, in Madaen, exploded killing seven of the passengers, two bystanders, and wounding ten.

Four police were killed in Kut when a suicide bomber blew himself up, outside their station.

Two more officers lost their lives to a car bomb in Balad Ruz.

Three bombs in Mosul combined to kill one and injure six.

At this point no one has claimed responsibility, for the attacks, by Al Qaeda is the likely suspect.

AU Troops Move Into Kismayo

Combined Kenyan and Somalian troops have announced that Kismayo, Somalia is theirs.

Al-Shabab withdrew from the city, over night, which was their last stronghold.

The terrorist group has apparently decided that cities and towns are not something they can or need to hold anymore, and are moving towards being completely guerrilla style.

Since 2007, the Al Qaeda linked group had been gaining more and more of the country, as it set out to impose sharia law.

Kenya and other members of the African Union joined the Somalian government, in October 2011, after Al-shabab began crossing into other countries to spread their rule.

Clashing Venezuelan Rallies Leave Two Dead

A mass rally, for presidential candidate Henrique Capriles, was blocked by supporters of sitting President Hugo Chavez, on Saturday.

As the two groups met it quickly became a clash, with injuries on both sides.

But it took a turn for the worse when a van drove by, unleashing bullets into the Capriles' supporters, leaving two dead.

Witnesses said that the van was a government vehicle.

In a statement, Chavez said that those guilty of the crime "will be brought to justice".

The election looks to be a close one, the closest the socialist Chavez has seen in his fourteen year rule.

Capriles, a centrist, seeks to model Venezuela after the model of Brazil's free market mixed with welfare system.

Firefighter Injured in Montbello House Fire

A fire in Montbello, Colorado, early Sunday morning, injured a firefighter.

When firefighters arrived on scene they were told someone was trapped inside, but never found anyone.

During the search, one firefighter was injured and sent to the hospital with cuts and burns, and released later Sunday.

The house was totaled, by the flames, and fire investigators are trying to determine a cause.

Dallas Shaken by Quakes

At 11:05 CDT, Dallas was shaken by a 3.4 earthquake.

It was centered two miles north of Irving, and was followed by 3.1 after shock a few miles away, at 11:09.

No major damage was reported, from either quake, but 911 saw about four hundred people call in with reports of cracked walls or ceilings, pictures and items being knocked down, light bulbs shattering, and a possible gas leak.

The nearby Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport never even stopped operations, despite being located near the epicenters.

Whilst the city is not a common place for quakes, they do happen from time to time, though never really any large ones. 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Austerity Protests Continue in Europe

Thousands massed in Spain and Portugal to protest austerity measures that their governments have announced.

For Spain it was the third day this week. Two were injured and dozens were arrested on Saturday.

In Portugal the union organized protests managed to stay peaceful.

Last week saw protests in Italy and Greece that turned violent.

The four countries have some of the worst economies in the developed world.

Some European Union members have suggested removing them to a lesser status in the organization.

Death in Wyoming Due to Flesh Eating Bacteria

Two cases of flesh eating bacteria have caused great concern in Wyoming, as they've not only happened in the same state, but same city.

The cases occurred in Gillette, and one of them has become fatal.

Both of them were admitted to Campbell County Memorial Hospital with strep infections.

It is a very common bacteria, that mostly causes strep throat, but if it get's into an infected wound can become necrotizing fasciitis.

Doctors are recommending that anyone experiencing amounts of pain, that seem higher than normal, from a wound, seek treatment immediately.

Libyan Militias Disarmed

A national call in Libya, to turn over privately owned weapons, was answered by the hundreds, in Libya Saturday.

Person by person the militia members came in, to turn over the weapons they had acquired either during the revolution, or since.

Some brought their rifles, others brought their personal tanks, armored personnel carriers, or anti aircraft guns.

The move came as militias have become extremely unpopular since the attack upon the American consulate, in Benghazi, earlier this month.

890,000 Pounds of Ground Beef Recalled

A massive ground beef recall has been announced for the United States and Canada.

All meat produced, at Alberta's XL Foods, on August 24, 27, 28, 29, and September 5, is part of the recall.

890,000 pounds of beef were distributed across both countries, through many grocery chains.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has closed XL Foods, and suspended their license.

No sicknesses have yet been caused by the meat, but E. coli taints have been found.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Man Shoots and Kills Knife Wielding Prowler, Turns Out to be Own Son

Jeffrey Giuliano received a call from his neighbor telling him that someone was prowling outside of his house, about 1am, Thursday. He went outside, carrying his handgun, to investigate.

Outside he was confronted by someone wearing a mask, dressed all in black, who was wielding a gun. The knifeman came at him, and Giuliano shot and killed him.

When police were investigating the crime scene they eventually unmasked the corpse they discovered it to be fifteen year old Tyler Giuliano, Jefferey's son.

Police are trying to determine why Tyler was outside of the house, with a knife, and why he did not try and identify himself to his father. There was not known to be any trouble between the two, and both were well liked in the town of New Fairfield, Connecticut.

Saudi Arabia Deporting a Thousand Nigerian Women

Nearly a thousand Muslim women are being held at King Abdulaziz Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The women were caught on a pilgrimage to Mecca, without any male relatives as escorts.

Authorities from the two countries have been working out details, as Saudi Arabia keeps them contained til they can be deported.

Going to Mecca is a requirement of the Muslim faith, but women can not travel without male relatives, in many countries.

Fifteen Tons of Weed Seized in Egypt

Egyptian authorities made the biggest drug bust in the country's history, Thursday.

A truck crossing out of the Sinai Peninsula toward the Nile Valley, was caught attempting to enter a tunnel that goes under the Suez Canal.

In the vehicle, fifteen tons of marijuana were found.

According to UN stats, that makes it the forty-fifth largest drug bust in the world.

Normally the US and Mexico have the largest busts.

Since the regime change, in Egypt, border security had become more porous, but the new government has been working on improving it.

Czech President Shot With Pellet Gun

Thursday afternoon, a man walked through a crowd right up to Czech President Vaclav Klaus and shot him, at point blank range, with a pellet gun.

Klaus turned, gave the man a dirty look, and then remarked to his guards, "He just shot me".

The President suffered only some bruises from the attack.

Later he could be seen joking about the incident, with his entourage.

The, as of yet unidentified, twenty-six year old man was taken into custody, by police, but not before he gave an interview to the press.

Clearly the Czech Republic needs to work on it's security a bit more.

Seven Dead in Spanish Floods

At least seven people have been killed in flash flooding that has hit southern Spain.

Houses have been destroyed and swept vehicles away.

The provinces of Andulcia, Malaga, Murcia, and Almeria have been the hardest hit.

Spain, like parts of Europe and the US, has been hard hit by drought, all summer long, causing many fires.

Rains are expected to continue until Saturday afternoon.

Fifth Victim Dies After Minneapolis Shooting

A fifth victim of the office shooting in Minneapolis, Thursday, has died from their wounds.

With the gunmen among the dead, the death toll now sits at six.

Two others are still in the hospital, in critical condition.

The shooter pulled out his gun, after being told that he was being fired.

He was apparently very specific in choosing who he shot.

When police searched his home, they found more than ten thousand rounds of ammunition and another gun.


Weekend Must See: The Four Feathers (1939)

Here’s a tale of war and empire, and one of the greatest cinematic studies on the nature and value of heroism and duty. This 1939 version was the best of seven film adaptations of the 1902 novel, a far cry from the watered down, politically corrected Heath Ledger 2002 remake.

A British soldier (John Clements) raised on intimidating tales of his ancestors' battlefield glories, horrors and hard fought victories, is faced with the choice between fighting in North Africa and staying home with his beautiful fiancé when war breaks out in the Sudan and his regiment must go. He rebels against family tradition, gives in to his fear and resigns from the Army. As a result he's branded a deserter, disgraced by his buddies' "gift" of white feathers symbolizing cowardice, and his fiancé no longer respects him.

Motivated by shame and guilt, Clements goes to prove to himself and to those he loves, that he can rise to and meet his duty and obligation. He manages to exceed those goals as he reenters the battle in disguise and redeems himself through a series of selfless and daring acts, rescuing those who doubted him and returning the feathers one by one.

The moral here is of duty to something greater than yourself, sacrificing something, maybe everything, to serve that greater cause, and in the end being made greater by serving out that duty; that there is a reward to personal honor beyond even what a medal can bestow or signify, and that the concept of empire has its advantages and benefits, worth defending and fighting for. These things were an especially meaningful and relevant theme for the British in 1939 as they were on the decline while also facing the Nazi onslaught.

The Korda brothers who made the film, producer Alexander, director Zoltan and production designer Vincent, were twice subjects of empire (first Austro-Hungarian and then British), were enthusiastically patriotic about their adopted land in a way that seems unique to immigrants, and in this movie glorified flag waving imperialism, the necessity of battle and the promise of victory, in no small part to show their new home country the shame, danger and disaster that could come from betting so heavily on appeasement, inaction and moral disarmament.

On this side of the Atlantic 1939 had a happier significance, now almost unanimously called Hollywood’s greatest year in film, and The Four Feathers is equal to any movie in that year's top tier. A rock solid story, excellent acting, gorgeous scenes and great action, massive and decorous military ceremonies and marches, a climactic jailbreak, a formal ball, sprawling battles in the Egyptian desert and steamships on the Nile, all captured with rich color cinematography that deserved its Oscar nomination. A must see on TCM, late late Saturday (actually Sunday morning) at Midnight. (also available on Criterion Blu-ray)

Find me at the Speakeasy for much more classic entertainment.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Thirty Yard Behind The Back Touchdown Throw

Purdue's intramural men's flag football was the scene for an amazing touchdown throw.

The quarterback for the Sour Lemons threw thirty yard touchdown throw, nothing spectacular there, but how he threw it was.

In a spinning move, he threw it behind his back, almost in a reverse discus throw.

Apparently he is capable of making this throw, eight out of ten times.

Yes, you will have to see this for yourself.


Canada Attacks Cheese Smuggling

Canadian authorities arrested three men for smuggling cheese into Ontario, from the United States.

Over two hundred thousand dollars worth of cheese had been smuggled since the investigation began in January.

Once they had it over the border, they sold it to restaurants, making at least one hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars in profit.


Strict regulations from the Canadian dairy board combined with limited importation from other countries, cause high cheese prices for the country.



The three men can face jail time, as well as fines of up to 245.5% the value of the product.

Mexican Marines Capture Zetas Leader

Mexican marines had a big day, on Thursday, when they successfully captured Ivan Velazquez Caballero, one of the leaders of the Zetas.

He was one of Mexico's thirty-seven most wanted.

According to some sources he and another Zetas leader, Miguel Angel Trevino Morales, had been in a power struggle.

The Zetas are one of the most powerful and violent drug cartels in Mexico.

President Felipe Calderon has put a lot of resources into ending the drug cartels' power.

The drug war in Mexico has left more than ten thousand dead, mostly due to violence between cartels.

Two Dead at Office Shooting in Minneapolis

At least two people are dead after a shooting in Minneapolis.

The shooting occurred at Accent Signage Systems Inc.

Three critically injured victims were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, with a fourth at an undisclosed hospital.

Police closed off the area, as they searched for a shooter, but later ended their search after deciding that the shooter was one of the dead.

The shooter apparently shot and killed himself.

Spilling Day For I70 in Colorado

It's been a twenty-four hours full of spills, for Interstate 70 in Colorado.

Wednesday, about 6:30pm, a semi overturned near Edwards, spilling around a thousand pounds of paint.

It took til a lil after 4am, Thursday, for the cleanup to be finished.

Westbound traffic had to be diverted off the freeway, for the duration of the incident.

Just after noon on Thursday, another semi overturned in Wheat Ridge, the driver was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.

This truck was carrying beer and spilled cans all over the on ramp, from CO 58.

Crews were finished cleaning that up, about two hours after it happened.

A Month of Classic DVD & Blu-ray

Five DVD/Blu-ray picks from those released through September worth adding to your collection.

In The Dark Mirror, Olivia DeHavilland plays that favorite role of actors; twins, one good, one evil. One Olivia has murdered her boyfriend, both have alibis, and when a shrink is called in to sort the thing out, both sisters fall in love with him, setting off a major struggle. These were the days they knew how to make the movies short (eighty-five minutes) yet packed with quality and story. DeHavilland does wonders in both roles opposite Lew Ayres, so good she easily overcomes the then trendy Freudian nonsense, in this tense psycho thriller by noted noir director Robert Siodmak.
A Double Life, art is life, talk about losing yourself in a character; Ronald Colman plays a talented thespian who lets Othello go to his head, and if you know your Shakespeare, there's a bit of murderous jealousy involved in that play. Though Colman made a lot of great movies playing a swashbuckler, distinguished gentleman, roguish thief and sophisticated romantic hero, this almost uncharacteristic role is his darkest, and the performance he won the Oscar for, and the movie's a must see not only for Colman but also for great work by Shelley Winters, Signe Hasso, and Edmond O'Brien.

Bond 50, meaning fifty years, twenty-two movies on Blu-ray, nine of them for the first time ever, plus one hundred and thirty hours of bonus features including never before seen footage, illustrations of the posters, and do I really have to tell you what it's about? No, didn’t think so.

Back in the 1950s when those newfangled televisions were hurting box office, and threatened to keep everyone home glued to the set and away from the cinemas, studios were desperate to offer something bigger, wider, grander, louder, more colorful and eye grabbing than your home screen. One of the many technologies was a seventy-five foot wide massive curved screen, the IMAX ancestor Cinerama. This is Cinerama is that introduction film fully and beautifully restored, the movie version of a world tour meant to capture and show you the grandest sights on the globe, on what was then the grandest of screens.

From sprawling screens, go back, back, back in time to smaller, silent time with Buster Keaton in The Navigator, in which Keaton and the girl he wants to marry are the only people on a giant yacht cut loose and drifting on the ocean. First they comically keep missing each other in board and then when they do discover they’re not alone, set to figuring out this navigation thing, run the vessel aground, perform underwater repair and have to fend off a cannibal attack. A must for fans of Keaton and near perfect comedy.

Find me at the Speakeasy for much more classic entertainment.

From The Mouth of Matuszak: Thoughts on the Latest Poll Numbers

Let's discuss political polling. There are allegations that the polls are biased. There are facts out there that indicate polling techniques and samplings lean in a way to skew the results in efforts to affect voting. That just might be true. It probably is true.

I worked market surveys in my younger days. It is true that the way survey and polling questions are worded can sway the answers received. It's a fact of human nature. Marketing polls are written in such a manner in order to gain attention to certain products. It is also true that pollsters will look at people, using profiling, in order to garner people to take the surveys that fit into a select demographic. I have two words about those facts:  so what?

Here's the flat out fact people ignore: Will the results of surveys that polled other people affect your vote? If your answer is yes, then pay attention to those numbers. They will not affect my vote. They will not affect any amount of campaign work I may do for any candidate other than to motivate me to work harder if my guy is behind. However, those results will not change my decision. They really should not affect yours.

If they affect your choice, you are an idiot. Electing an official who can and will do the job we are hiring him (or her) to fill is not a popularity contest. It isn't about who has better hair or a cuter smile. It is about which one will do the job. It is about which one will most comply with the rules, laws, and hard contract with the employers (citizens).

The pure facts remain that Obama has not upheld that contract. He believes it to be renegotiable on a second by second basis, and that we, the employers, have no say in how he changes it. If you doubt that fact, you may want to look at all of the executive orders he has signed. You may want to look at the executive regulatory policies enacted as though they are as valid as legislated law. You may then  want to take a look at those among those EOs and policies that have been decided upon by the court system. The vast majority that have been brought before the courts have been deemed invalid. However, that is after the EO, regulations, and policy in question has already done some level of damage.

If you want examples, research the light bulb fiasco. Take some time and research the way the socialists attempted to take over farms through excessive regulation of "farm dust" and cow flatulence. There are even cases where the EPA (which works for the president) has attempted to violate the fourth amendment and seize property from its lawful owners because of some bird or butterfly. Read that again. Notice I explicitly named the fourth amendment. The Constitution is the hard contract with the states and citizens that Obama seeks to bypass, violate, ignore, or alter at a whim. He believes that he has the right to seize private property acquired through the natural right of "the pursuit of happiness" without a warrant issued due to probable cause. He thinks he is king. He thinks he owns your property and is just lending it to you.

Whole books have already been written about violations such as these that Obama has committed. Whole books researching his upbringing and ideology are on the shelves at the book stores.

On top of it, you have idiots pointing fingers at Bush as some uncaring and heartless soul. Bush signed letters to our fallen. Bush still attends fundraisers for charities that assist veterans. Bush feels the weight of every life sacrificed during his administration and since. Obama calls them "bumps in the road". Brian Terry, killed by a weapon provided to a foreign criminal/terrorist organization by Obama's administration, is just a "bump in the road". Our ambassador to Libya along with the three others murdered by a terrorist group are just "bumps in the road". A US Citizen lawfully exercising his first amendment rights is, instead, criminalized. That citizen committed no crime, incited no violence, and called for nobody to be harmed. Yet, according to Obama, he is to be considered a criminal. Compare those two men.

Was Bush perfect? No he wasn't. He was far from the perfect president. He isn't even in my top ten (about twenty percent). However, he was far better than O-blamer. Yes, I am just saying that because I met the man. However, I met each president who held office while I was active in the military except Obama. Obama considers military members to be just "bumps in the road", much like Hitlery Clinton thought herself equal to royalty when she commanded US Soldiers to "turn [their] eyes away" because they were "not worthy of looking at [her]".

Do I think Romney is the best choice? No, I do not. However, he is the only viable candidate who can beat Obama. He is far from perfect. However, his platform and policies are far, far better than those we have suffered under the past approximately 4 years. At least Romney knows how to run a business and manage people. At least he knows how to lead. At least Mitt knows that a balanced budget is better than bankruptcy. At least Mitt doesn't want the citizens of this country subjugated under him and his cronies and dependent upon the efforts of somebody else in order to prosper individually.

Yes, Romney's campaign is currently a little soft cell. What does that mean to conservatives and libertarians who want nothing less than to evict Obama from our White House? Well, it falls upon us to do the "hard sell". It is up to us to openly tell people why we want Romney (or do not want Obama). It is up to us to get our friends to register to vote and actually show up at the election sites and vote. it is up to those of capable to get certified as polling officials to watch those election sites to make sure laws are followed (and help prevent/deter fraud).

So, if you don't like the current poll results, quit crying about their bias. Instead, go out and do something. Sitting there and crying about it makes you sound like the zombies who are voting for Obama. "You want me to learn how to fish instead of just stealing your fish? Waaaaaah! You're racists! That's unfair!"

Original article at Mental Aikido

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Bear Wanders Highlands Ranch

Coyote Creek Elementary School, in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, was temporarily put on lock down, Wednesday, due to a bear in the area.

First reported around 7:30am, the bear wandered through western Highlands Ranch, most of the morning.

Douglas County Sheriffs eventually caught up with it and wildlife officers were brought in.

They were able to tranquilize the bear and moved it out of the city.

Autonomous Cars Now Legal in California

Governor Jerry Brown signed into law SB 1298, on Wednesday, that makes autonomous cars legal

The law requires California's DMV to come up with regulations for the vehicles by January 1, 2015.

Under the law, autonomous cars would still require someone to be behind the wheel, in case of emergency.

California becomes the third state to pass such a law, following Nevada and Florida.

Google and Stanford have been testing the vehicles, made by multiple manufacturers, over the past year.

Eight People Dead After Ferry Collides With Tanker

A ferry in Indonesia struck a tanker that was carrying liquefied natural gas.

Over two hundred people and seventy vehicles were aboard the ferry.

Eight people are confirmed dead, and rescuers are continuing to search for the missing.

Officials are inspecting the tanker, to ensure that it was not damaged in the collision.

With over seventeen thousand islands, making up the country of more than two hundred and forty million, ferries are an extremely common form of transportation.

Unfortunately lax safety measures and over crowding make accidents quite common.

Mexican Military Clashes With Drug Gang

Mexican military troops engaged in a firefight with a drug gang, in Southern Mexico, Wednesday afternoon.

The gang had apparently been keeping two people hostage and the military went in to rescue them.

One soldier and ten gang members were killed in the violence, while both hostages were wounded.

Afterwards, federal police confiscated drugs, weapons, and vehicles from the scene.

Explosion Rocks Oil Refinery

There was an explosion at the Irving oil refinery in Saint John, New Brunswick, Wednesday afternoon.

One of the workers, at Canada's largest oil refinery, suffered small cuts after being slammed to the ground, by the force of the blast.

An 1,100 gallon tank of potassium hydroxide over pressurized while under routine maintenance.

No other damage or injuries were reported, from the incident.

Spanish Protests Turn Violent Again

Thousands of Spanish protesters surrounded Parliament, as the government debated another set of austerity measures.

Protesters blocked police from gaining access to the building.

When more police came and attempted to force their way through the crowds, things turned violent.

Twenty-eight protesters and four police were hurt in the fighting, which included clubs, rocks, tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets.

Fifty Thousand Protest in Athens

Around fifty thousand people protested in Athens, on Wednesday.

The protest and march were organized by the country's two biggest trade unions.

It was all organized to show displeasure in the latest round of cuts being made by the government.

In some places protesters threw rocks and gasoline bombs at police, who responded with tear gas.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Cooling Vest Stolen From 5 Year Old Wihout Sweat Glands

Wyatt Daring was born without sweat glands, so his body can't cool itself.

To survive anything above cold weather, he requires a cooling vest.

Unfortunately, his vest was stolen and his old one doesn't fit him right.

A new vest costs at least seven hundred dollars.

Waltz Golf Farm, in Limerick, Pennsylvania is hosting a fundraiser for Wyatt, on Tuesday October 2.

For information on how you can help or donate, please contact them.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Aurora Public Schools to Allow Advertising on School Buses

Cherry Creek School District Bus
Buses belonging to Aurora Public Schools will now have ad space on their sides, beneath the windows.

The Colorado school district announced the decision, Tuesday.

Strict guidelines have been set as to what can be placed on a bus, and the district will have to approve each ad.

Costs for the ads will be two hundred and fifty dollars per month, with a minimum six month contract.

Half of that money will go to the district and the other half to Spot On Solutions, which is organizing the ads.

Companies paying for the ads, so far, are Colorado Youth for a Change, Pickens Technical College, TCF Bank, and Aurora Schools Federal Credit Union.

Other districts, such as Cherry Creek, already sell advertising space on their buses.

Brazilian Judge Orders Arrest of Google Executive

A Brazilian judge ordered the arrest of the president of Google's operations in Brazil, on Monday.

Last week Judge Flavio Peren, of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, ordered Google to remove two videos, from YouTube, which attacked Alcides Bernal, a mayoral candidate in Campo Grande.

When Google failed to immediately comply, the judge ordered a suspension of Google and YouTube, in the state.

Now, with the videos still up, Peren has issued a warrant for the arrest of the president of Google's operations in Brazil, Fabio Jose Silva Coelho.

In a statement, Google announced that they are appealing the judge's decision, pointing out that they are not responsible for the content on the sharing site.

EPA Being Sued For Poisoning Subjects

The Environmental Protection Agency is being sued over human experiments that they conducted.

In several instances they purposefully and deliberately exposed people to poisonous gasses.

Nor did the EPA inform their subjects that they were being exposed to harmful substances.

Science advocate Steven Milloy is leading the lawsuit and has created a website to publicly share the information he has on the experiments.

Milloy states that the experiments began in 2004 and have been continuously carried out since.

Radio Stations Evacuated Due to Beeping Package

Several radio stations were evacuated, Tuesday morning, in Los Angeles.

Two suspicious packages were delivered to KNX-AM 1070, and one of them was beeping.

KFWB radio and K-Earth-FM 101 were also evacuated, as they share the building.

An LA bomb squad was sent to check out the packages, which were eventually determined to be carrying promotional items, for radio show hosts.

The beeping had been coming from an alarm clock.

NFL Has Become an Embarrassment

Every year the NFL, and every sport, sees bad calls made. Humans make mistakes. Tis the very reason challenges and reviews are in existence.

For the NFL this year was going to be a challenge. The regular refs went on strike and refused to work til their pay was increased. The NFL was unwilling to do so. Instead they brought in replacements, and they've been  dramatically wanting in their judgment abilities, with horrible calls being made every week.

Last night was the highlight of such, mostly due to it's being the first one that actually was a game deciding call. With eight seconds remaining, in a game between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks, there was a dramatic hail mary pass, which even the NFL admits shouldn't have counted, due to an uncalled interference call.

Even greater confusion immediately followed. The nearest refs, both of whom had failed to call the interference, looked at each other and then gave differing responses as to whether it was a touch down or an interception, eventually the decided to call it a touchdown.

From there the play went right to official review. When the official came back, he decided that it was indeed a touchdown. The NFL has backed this decision, calling it a simultaneous catch, which by NFL rules, goes to the passing team.

Unfortunately for the official, the rest of the refs, and the NFL everyone else who watches the replay can clearly see that it was an interception, not a simultaneous catch. The Seahawks did not win, the Packers had victory robbed from them, by the referees. There were several chances for the call to be overturned, as it rightly should have been, but they were not taken.

Now we are left wondering, would the NFL have been better off if the ref lockout had kept play from happening at all. The NFL would have been hurt by that, but at least it wouldn't have become the embarrassment it is now.

Seven Killed in Turkish Explosion

Seven members of Turkey's security forces were killed Tuesday.

The vehicle they were traveling in exploded, as they traveled through Tunceli.

It is unclear if the explosion was caused by a mine or if something struck the vehicle.

Kurdish rebels are being blamed for the attack.

The war between the rebels and national government has been heating up lately, and the death toll has been growing.

MySpace Announces Latest Redesign

MySpace has announced it's latest redesign, and you can sign up to test it out.

The site used to be the top social media place on the internet, but Facebook and Twitter have definitely taken that from them.

Since 2005, they've gone through multiple owners and looks.

Now, partially owned by Justin Timberlake, the site is focusing all the more so on it's music wing, and integration with Facebook and Twitter.

Focus is clearly now on becoming the top social music site.

The new look contains such things as a Discover tab which offers access to trending artists, music, mixes, radio, videos, news, and upcoming concerts; and the Artist Pages which will be an easy access playlist to any song or video by your favorite artists.

If you're looking for a preview, it is now available.

Zombie Bees Found in Washington

Zombie bees have now been confirmed in Washington state, they had previously only been found in California, South Dakota, and Oregon. A novice bee keeper in Seattle discovered that some of his bees had been infected, he brought his story to local universities and the Seattle Times.

San Francisco State University biologist John Hafernik uses the movie of Alien to describe what happens to the bees.
Adult females, smaller than a fruit fly, land on the backs of foraging honeybees and use their needle sharp ovipositors to inject eggs into the bee's abdomen. The eggs hatch into maggots. They basically eat the insides out of the bee. After consuming their host, the maggots pupate, forming a hard outer shell that looks like a fat, brown grain of rice. Three to four weeks later adults are born.
It's unclear why flies started doing this in 2008, but the implications are frightening. Bees are responsible for pollinating most plants in the world, especially farm crops. If bee populations are hurt by this, it could effect quantity of crops as well.

That's not exactly encouraging words after this summer, which saw some of the worst droughts in decades. Shortages of many foods are quite possible, even in the US, next year.

Heavily Tattooed Vladimir Franz Running For Czech President

Vladimir Franz, a fifty-three year old drama professor, painter, and composer, is running for President in the Czech Republic.

Franz is described as a moderate who strongly believes in democracy, human rights, tolerance, and in finding answers to the energy crisis.

What makes him stand out is his appearance.

Franz has dyed blue hair, multiple facial piercings, and tattoos covering more than ninety percent of his body.

His appearance has caused supporters of Vaclav Klaus, the current President, to suggest he is running as a joke, but he is completely serious about his run.

Doctor Franz, as he could go by, due to his doctorate in law, is considered a long shot, but his growing support could actually make him a true contender in the election.

Some will or won't vote for him simply due to his appearance, but the majority of the country believes in the very things he stands for, in fact polls would suggest that he is much more aligned with their views than Klaus is.

If Franz was to win, he would become the first president to openly show tattoos.

This election could very truly show if an entire country can accept tattoos, in a very public way.

Washington Fires Burning Nearly 200 Square Miles

Twenty-five hundred fire fighters are battling two huge wildfires, in Washington.

Combined, the two fires are burning one hundred and sixty square miles.

The Wenatchee fire is considered to be at thirty percent containment, whilst the Table Mountain fire is nearing ten percent.

Much of eastern Washington is considered to have poor to hazardous air quality due to the massive amount of smoke coming off the fires.

Many firefighters have had to be treated for upper respiratory problem and residents are being warned to keep their windows closed and to limit their time outside.

The smoke has also kept aircraft from joining in the fight.

Other fires are burning in the state, but most of the focus is going into the two largest fires, especially as they grow closer to each other.

Several states, throughout the western US, are suffering from blazes, in what has been one of the worst fire seasons.