TORARADICALcom: October 2012

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Cleaning up Sandy's Devastation

As cleanup continues in the aftermath of Sandy, the devastation becomes more apparent. Sixty-four people were killed, in the US, by the storm, bringing the international total to one hundred and thirty-three.

Evacuations remain in place for nearly four hundred thousand in New York City. Well over a million are still evacuated from other locations, as well.

Bellevue Hospital, in New York City, is so badly flooded that the hospital is shutting down for two to three weeks. The waters have blocked the ability to refill the backup generators, and power is gone. All of it's patients are being transferred to other locals. Twenty-one other medical facilities were being evacuated across the city.

Between Staten Island and Woodbridge, New Jersey about three hundred thousand gallons of diesel have leaked into the waters of Arthur Kill. Oil has begun to wash up into nearby creeks, and there are worries for fishing and clamming industries located nearby. Two hundred people are working with the Coast Guard to contain and clean up the spill.

An explosion on Long Island, ended renewed power in the area. It occurred at a Consolidated Edison substation near the East River. Hopes are for the repair to be completed by the weekend.

The New York Stock Exchange reopened Wednesday morning. Limited subway service returned to sections of New York City, on Wednesday evening. Both JFK and Newark began limited flights, Wednesday morning, with La Guardia expected to join them Thursday. Very little flooding remains in the city, according to a spokesman.

New Jersey National Guard troops have been delivering food and water to several areas of New Jersey. Several towns and communities are only reachable by helicopter and water. Much of that area is without any kind of power, and some may not see it for over a week. Waters there have barely begun to recede, normal water heights are not expected til at least next week, either.

Other parts of the north east are cleaning up as well, but it is definitely clear where the worst of the damage occurred.

Siggs Formally Charged Today

Seventeen year old Austin Siggs was formally charged, on Wednesday, in the murder of ten year old Jessica Ridgeway.

He is facing seventeen counts for that case, and for another one which police linked to it.

Eleven of the counts related to the Ridgeway murder, among them are first degree murder, kidnapping, and sexual assault.

The other six counts are for an attempted kidnapping of a twenty-two year old, in May.

His next hearing will be on November 27.

Police Enhance Search for I-96 Shooter

Michigan police are continuing their search for the "I 96" shooter.

There have been twenty-four recorded shootings, over the last two weeks, on or near the interstate.

All of them believed to be carried out by the same man.

He takes pot shots at traffic going the other direction, and luckily has only injured one person.

On Wednesday, police upped the reward, for information leading to an arrest, from $12,000 up to $102,000.

They've also put check points all along that part of the state, searching cars for the gun that has fired the shots.

27 Cadets Injured at the Air Force Academy

Information has been leaked that twenty-seven cadets at the Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, were injured last week during what turned into a brawl.

Six of them had to be treated at the hospital, rather than just the Academy's clinic.

For the first snow, every year, it's tradition for the freshmen class to attempt throwing their first sergeant into the snow.

It's unclear exactly how the injuries occurred, but clearly this year's festivities got a little out of hand.

After the leak, Brigadier General Gregory Lengyel released a statement saying, "Our Air Force expects better. I expect better, and I'm confident the cadets will learn and grow from this."

Ameridose LLC Recalling All Products

Ameridose LLC, sister company to New England Compounding Center, has announced a voluntary recall of all of the products that it makes.

No impurities in their products have yet been discovered in testing, by either the company or by the FDA.

The owners of Ameridose also own NECC and are being as careful as they can with their other company.

Concerns are now that the recall will seriously hurt the amount of drugs available to hospitals in the United States.

There had been one previous accusation that Ameridose did not use proper measures to ensure completely sterile products.

Anyone with questions should call the company at 888-820-0622, between 9am-5pm EDT.

NECC is the company who's contaminated steroid injections have killed twenty-nine and sickened 377.

29th Meningitis Related Death

A twenty-ninth person has died from meningitis, as the number of cases rises to 377, including nine cases of joint infections.

Meningitis can take forty-two days to surface, leading to the still growing epidemic.

All of the illnesses and deaths were caused by a contamination in anti inflammatory steroid shots, most of which were given via the spine.

Seventy-six locations, in twenty-three states, were sent the shots, which were given to as many as fourteen thousand people.

New England Compounding Center made the shots, and has complied completely with government officials who are conducting the investigation.

Officials are investigating at least two other drugs, made by NECC, for possibilities that they too may have been contaminated.

Things are only getting worse for the company, and now the government, as evidence comes out that they had been under investigation, for issues in their processing, since 2002.

Their sister company, Ameridose LLC, which has the same owners, is voluntarily recalling all of their products.

Committed: Romney Sacrificed $2 Billion in His Run for the Presidency

Nathan Vardi’s Forbes magazine article, “Mitt Romney: The Most Expensive Political Career in American History” makes the observation that, “lots of people pay a high price for getting into politics, but no one has likely given up more, at least financially, than Mitt Romney.”

Forbes has estimated that Romney would be worth approximately $2 billion had he remained at Bain Capital instead of running for office. As it was, Romney made the decision to leave Bain, a thriving private equity firm, in 1999 in order to rescue the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He subsequently went on to pursue the political career that eventually led to the GOP presidential nomination.

Romney is currently worth an estimated $230 million, but it is unarguable that he could have amassed a far more abundant fortune had he not left Bain. According to Forbes’ calculations, had Romney stayed at Bain, his stake in the company would be worth $1.5 billion today. Bloomberg pretty much concurs and estimates his stake would be worth $1.32 billion.

Leaving Bain, when he did, was a huge sacrifice, Romney declined a decade of profitable performance fees and Bain’s most lucrative deals, which likely could have brought in another $500 million.

So, had Mitt remained at Bain, Vardi reasons, he would, “probably be worth $2 billion by now.” Additionally, he “has consistently shown that he is willing to sacrifice huge sums of money in order to chase his political dreams,” Vardi adds.

It should also be noted, however, that during Romney’s tenure heading Bain, the firm realized an incredible 173 percent annual internal rate of return on the firms it bought and sold through the end of 1999.

This further demonstrates Mitt Romney’s adept skills in managing a business. This is key because his initial focus, as president, would be fostering job creation and implementing his plan to jumpstart the economy.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus reminds us that, “we are in troubled times and we need a strong leader who is ready to tackle our challenges head-on. With too few jobs and a skyrocketing debt, America, more than ever, needs a Mitt Romney.”

Watch “It’s Time To Vote”

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

28 Now Dead From Meningitis

The meningitis outbreak has now killed twenty-eight people, and only continues to expand with 363 reported cases, including seven joint infections, in nineteen states.

Meningitis can take forty-two days to surface, leading to the still growing epidemic.

All of the illnesses and deaths were caused by a contamination in anti inflammatory steroid shots, most of which were given via the spine.

Seventy-six locations, in twenty-three states, were sent the shots, which were given to as many as fourteen thousand people.

New England Compounding Center made the shots, and has complied completely with government officials who are conducting the investigation.

Officials are investigating at least two other drugs, made by NECC, for possibilities that they too may have been contaminated.

Things are only getting worse for the company, and now the government, as evidence comes out that they had been under investigation, for issues in their processing, since 2002.

Disney Buys Lucasfilm for $4 Billion

On Tuesday afternoon, George Lucas and Disney announced that, for a price of a little over four billion dollars, Disney had bought all of Lucasfilm.

As part of this Disney has already promised that Star Wars: Episode VII will come out in 2015, with VIII and IX to follow.

Lucas will be a creative consultant for the third trilogy.

The Creator stated, "It's now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I've always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime."

Under the purchase, Disney also gets Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the Indiana Jones franchise.

The purchase was made with cash and stock.

Markets being closed, due to the superstorm Sandy, kept the immediate reaction from being known, but expectations are for there to be a visible jump in their value.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Sgt. Clinton K. Ruiz

ARMY Sergeant Clinton K. Ruiz, twenty-two, of Murrieta, California, died October 25 in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Sgt. Clinton Keith Ruiz, 22, of Poway, Calif., died Oct. 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom – Afghanistan. Ruiz was a graduate of Murrieta Valley High School of Murrieta Valley, Calif., in 2008. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in May 2009 as a Psychological Operations Specialist. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 4th Military Information Support Brigade, Fort Bragg, N.C., in February 2012. Sgt Ruiz deployed to Afghanistan in September 2012. Ruiz was previously assigned to the 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), in 2010 and the 5th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), of Fort Bragg, N.C., in 2011. He completed Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo., August 2009 and the Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Ga., October 2009. Ruiz attended the Psychological Operations Advanced Individual Training and Korean Language School at Ft. Bragg, N.C., graduating in August 2010. His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal (Campaign Star), Global War on Terrorism Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge. Ruiz is survived by his spouse Kira Ortega and son Caleb.

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/10/rip-staff-sgt-kashif-m-memon-sgt.html

Sergeant Clinton Keith Ruiz, twenty-two, of Poway, California, died October 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan.

Ruiz was a graduate of Murrieta Valley High School of Murrieta Valley, California, in 2008. He enlisted in the US Army in May 2009 as a Psychological Operations Specialist. He was assigned to Alpha Company, 9th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), 4th Military Information Support Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in February 2012.

Sgt Ruiz deployed to Afghanistan in September 2012. Ruiz was previously assigned to the 4th Military Information Support Group (Airborne), in 2010 and the 5th Military Information Support Battalion (Airborne), of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2011.

He completed Basic Training at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, August 2009 and the Basic Airborne School at Ft. Benning, Georgia, October 2009. Ruiz attended the Psychological Operations Advanced Individual Training and Korean Language School at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina, graduating in August 2010.

His awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghan Campaign Medal (Campaign Star), Global War on Terrorism Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and the Parachutist Badge.

Ruiz is survived by his spouse Kira Ortega and son Caleb.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Staff Sgt. Kashif M Memon

ARMY Staff Sgt. Kashif M Memon, thirty-one, of Houston, Texas, died October 25 in Oruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

Staff Sergeant Kashif M. Memon, 31, of St. Paul. Minn. and Houston, Texas, died Oct. 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan. Memon was assigned to Alpha Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, N.C., and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. This was his first combat deployment to Afghanistan as a Civil Affairs Soldier. His previous two combat deployments were as an Army infantryman from Fort Hood to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as a Marine Corps infantry squad leader from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Operation Enduring Freedom. Memon enlisted in the Marine Corps in Houston, Texas in 2001 and was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, while deploying to Okinawa, Japan; Pohang, South Korea; Thailand; Singapore; and Afghanistan. In Oct. 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and was stationed at Fort Hood, Tex. and Fort Bragg, N.C. In 2010, Memon volunteered for and completed Civil Affairs training at Fort Bragg and was assigned in 2011 to Alpha Company, 96th CA Battalion as a CA Team Civil Affairs Engineer. Staff Sergeant Memon’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Navy Unit Citation, three Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon with '2' Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with Two Stars and Army Parachutist Badge. SSG Memon was also a recipient of the Order of the Spur. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Badge. Memon is survived by his spouse, two sons and expecting a third child.

Read more: http://sgt-jim.blogspot.com/2012/10/rip-staff-sgt-kashif-m-memon-sgt.html

Staff Sergeant Kashif M. Memon, thirty-one, of St. Paul, Minnesota and Houston, Texas, died October 25 of wounds received during combat operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan. Memon was assigned to Alpha Company, 96th Civil Affairs Battalion, 95th Civil Affairs Brigade (Airborne), Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

This was his first combat deployment to Afghanistan as a Civil Affairs Soldier. His previous two combat deployments were as an Army infantryman from Fort Hood to Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as a Marine Corps infantry squad leader from Marine Corps Base Hawaii to Operation Enduring Freedom.

Memon enlisted in the Marine Corps in Houston, Texas in 2001 and was stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, while deploying to Okinawa, Japan; Pohang, South Korea; Thailand; Singapore; and Afghanistan. In October 2007, he enlisted in the U.S. Army as an infantryman and was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas and Fort Bragg, North Carloina. In 2010, Memon volunteered for and completed Civil Affairs training at Fort Bragg and was assigned in 2011 to Alpha Company, 96th CA Battalion as a CA Team Civil Affairs Engineer.

Staff Sergeant Memon’s awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Meritorious Unit Citation, Navy Unit Citation, three Good Conduct Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, Global War on Terror Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terror Service Medal, Non-Commissioned Officer Development Ribbon with '2' Device, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon with Two Stars and Army Parachutist Badge. SSG Memon was also a recipient of the Order of the Spur. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, and the Combat Action Badge.

Memon is survived by his spouse, two sons and expecting a third child.

Sandy Death Toll Hits 117, With 48 in the US

Forty-eight deaths have been reported in the US, bringing the total to one hundred and seventeen, caused by the storm. Sandy is currently dissipating as it makes it's way over the Great Lakes region of the US and Canada.

At the peak more than eight million were without power, stretching over seventeen states and one province. It could take more than a week to fully restore power to all areas.

Damage estimates are closing in on fifty billion dollars. National Guard units are helping with search and rescue efforts, in several states, with the Coast Guard searching the Atlantic waters.

New York City and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut have been declared national disaster areas. The New York City Fire Department had an overnight struggle with a six alarm fire, that destroyed over eighty homes.

The New York University Langone Medical Center was evacuated after it's backup generators failed. Some subways in New York City flooded to street level. A tanker, full of water, was driven up onto the ground of Staten Island.

Atlantic City's famous boardwalk is all but gone. It and several other New Jersey towns were completely submerged.

Flooding was not limited to just those areas. All up and down the eastern coast, flooding of several feet occurred. East of the mountains, a foot plus of snow was common.

Cell service in many areas was knocked out. Several news and other web organizations went down for hours, as they were hit by the storm.

On Wednesday, some cities are hoping to be able to begin public transit services, and the New York Stock Exchange is expected to be reopened.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Russian Vessel Carrying Gold Ore Missing

A Russian cargo vessel has gone missing in the Sea of Okhotsk.

The nine person crew put out a distress call, late Sunday, and has not been heard from since.

Hired by Polymetal, a mining company, the ship is carrying over seven hundred tons of gold ore.

Gold ore only contains a small percentage of gold, but it still makes for an extremely valuable cargo.

Iranian Ships Arrive in Sudan

An Iranian navy flotilla made it's way into the harbor of Port Sudan, Sudan, on Monday.

Iran stated that they wanted the visit to give a "message of peace and security to neighboring countries".

The flotilla, of two ships, is officially being sent to help the international effort against pirates.

Last week, a munitions factory exploded in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

Evidence came out that it was built with Iranian money and sending it's wares to Iran.

It is possible that the flotilla is there in connection to that incident, as well.

Meningitis Outbreak Continues to Expand

The meningitis outbreak continues to expand with 354 reported cases, including seven joint infections, in nineteen states.

Twenty-five people have died from the contaminated steroid shots.

Meningitis can take forty-two days to surface, leading to the still growing epidemic.

All of the illnesses and deaths were caused by a contamination in anti inflammatory steroid shots, most of which were given via the spine.

Seventy-six locations, in twenty-three states, were sent the shots, which were given to as many as fourteen thousand people.

New England Compounding Center made the shots, and has complied completely with government officials who are conducting the investigation.

Officials are investigating at least two other drugs, made by NECC, for possibilities that they too may have been contaminated.

Things are only getting worse for the company, and now the government, as evidence comes out that they had been under investigation, for issues in their processing, since 2002.

Sandy Makes Landfall, US Deaths Reported

As former hurricane, now considered a Superstorm, Sandy approaches landfall, which happened at 8:06pm EDT, the storm has picked up speed to nearly thirty miles per hour, as it aims at New Jersey. President Obama described it as "a big storm" and a "destructive storm".

Effects from the storm are already being felt in Canada, to the north, and the Great Lakes, to the west. Sandy is giving off sustained winds of ninety miles per hour, with gusts reaching towards one hundred and fifty miles per hour.

In Manhattan, New York, the top of a crane was knocked over by the winds, and it dangled eighty stories over the street. Several buildings across New York City, have reportedly collapsed. La Guardia Airport is among places that are flooded.

Sections of the Atlantic City, where the center of the storm made landfall, boardwalk were seen washing away into the raging surf, that is bringing storm surges as high as forty feet to New England, evacuations happened all along the coast. Flooding has already occurred all along the eastern sea board, with Delaware and Maryland reporting the worst damage from the rising waters.

More than three million were reportedly without power, from Virginia on north, and to avoid further damage power companies began shutting off power. Mass transits in major metros such as New York City, Boston, and Philadelphia either already have been shut down, or are considering doing so.

Most of the states, in the path, had already declared emergencies, with West Virginia doing so as it expects to see as much as two feet of snow, due to the storm. Nearly fifteen thousand flights, around the country and world, have been cancelled as airlines don't want to risk flying anywhere that the storm is.

Off the coast of North Carolina, the US Coast Guard rescued fourteen people from a replica of the HMS Bounty, after it was caught in the storm, two of the crew are believed to have gone down with the ship, early Monday morning. One of their bodies was found later.

Other death reports, in the US, started coming in, just before landfall. One in Maryland and two in NYC. The storm already killed forty-one as it crossed through the islands of the Caribbean.

Father of Benghazi Victim Learned of Son’s Death on CNN, Before Being Contacted by State Department

Last month, Ray Smith was hoping to get together with his son, Sean, whom he had not seen for fifteen years. But, it became devastatingly apparent, after seeing a story on CNN about the four Americans killed in Libya, that he would never see his son alive again. “I seen all these coffins come off the plane,” Smith recalled. “Four of them. Then I saw his picture in the corner. They mentioned Sean Smith was one of those killed.”

Smith received this gut wrenching news via television, prior to receiving a call, a form letter and a flag from Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy. But, the call did little to assuage Smith. Sean Smith, thirty-four, was killed during the September 11 attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, along with Ambassador Chris Stevens and ex-Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Outraged by hearing about Sean’s death on TV, he contacted his congressman, Reresentative C.W. “Bill” Young (R-FL). “He blew up when he saw that,” the congressman said. “I went to [Secretary of State] Hillary Clinton to see if she could talk to him about his son. She and his son were friends.”

According to Young, Clinton had Patrick Kennedy call Smith. “I got a call from Patrick Kennedy about three weeks ago,” Smith said. “We didn’t talk too long, about two or three minutes.”

A little about Sean Smith:

Sean Smith (c. 1978[1] – September 11, 2012) was an Information Management Officer with the United States Foreign Service.

Sean Smith was an only child, and he grew up in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego, California. He graduated from Mission Bay High School in 1995. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in July 1995, and he served as a Ground Radio Maintenance (2E) specialist. Smith served in the Air Force for six years, and he was promoted to Staff Sergeant in August 2000. He completed his military service in 2002. As a Foreign Service employee, Smith lived in The Hague, Netherlands with his wife Heather, and children Samantha and Nathan.[3][4] – Wikipedia

Commenting on his son’s tragic death, Ray Smith said: “I want answers. I want to know how he died. I want people brought to justice who did this to him.”

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Fifteen Killed by Car Bombings in Iraq

Shia Muslims were once again the target of car bombings in Iraq.

Fifteen people were killed and thirty-three injured in three separate attacks, on Sunday.

This followed the deaths of almost forty and injuries to around one hundred, on Saturday.

The Eid al-Adha holiday was this weekend, and people were crowding public places in celebration.

I-96 Shooter Back at It

Police in Michigan are looking for a shooter, who seems to be haunting Interstate 96.

On Saturday, two different people were shot at, as they drove the interstate, one of whom was shot in the buttocks.

Two weeks ago there were twenty-two reports of shootings happening along the freeway, none of them resulted in injuries.

Ballistics have proven that the earlier shootings were carried out with the same handgun, and police believe that Saturday's incidents were carried out by the same man.

In each case, a driver in a dark 1998 Toyota Camry or a 1998 Oldsmobile Alero took a shot at other motorists along the freeway.

Anyone with information should call Michigan Crime Stoppers at 800-773-2587.

CBI Releases 2012-13 Index

The Country Brand Index has been released for the eighth year.

CBI grades countries in various categories, each year, and then releases them in a ranked system.

For 2012-13, the United States will be listed eighth, dropping two spots.

The only category in which the US leads the world, is night life.

Switzerland and Canada switched first and second place, with Switzerland leading in the most categories.

Despite leading many of the other categories, Sweden came in fourth, behind Japan.

New Zealand, Australia, and Germany all finished ahead of the US, with Finland and Norway closing the top ten.

Saudi Arabia Attempts to Keep Politics Out of Haj

Syrian pilgrims attempted to begin an anti Assad regime protest, in Mina, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.

Saudi Arabian police moved quickly to disperse the protesters, and no violence occurred.

The country is working hard to keep politics from becoming involved in the annual haj, asking pilgrims to focus on the rituals involved.

Muslims are required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, at least once in their lives, the haj began on Wednesday and ends Tuesday.

In efforts to keep it safe, Saudi Arabia has spent millions on installing security cameras into place in the area.

Ukraine Holds Parliamentary Elections

Ukrainians hit the polls on Sunday, as Parliamentary voting takes place.

All four hundred and fifty seats are being voted on, during this election.

President Viktor Yanukovych is in the middle of his five year term, and he and his party are being accused of trying to fix the election.

The UN has sent 3,500 international observers to try and ensure a fair vote.

Despite that, many Ukrainians fear that no matter the actual numbers of the vote, the end result will be Yanukovych retaining power.

Reports from the country say that opposition groups were blocked from using major TV channels.

Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko and two of her Cabinet members were jailed on vague charges, which many think were just to keep them from being able to speak during the last few days of campaigns.

Yanukovych is regularly accused of trying to form an authoritarian state, with himself as permanent head.

His popularity is down to thirteen percent, but supporters credit him with increasing jobs and strengthening the economy.

Canadian Spy Shared Allied Information

For five years, Lieutenant Jeffrey Delisle gave secret information to the Russians, and it all began when he found out his wife was cheating on him.

Delisle was a Canadian naval intelligence analyst who had access to the top secret "Stone Ghost" system, where Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand, and Australia share naval intel.

When he found out about his wife, he went to the Russian embassy and offered to share information in exchange for three thousand dollars a month.

He shared the information by copying the information to a floppy disk, which he then transfered to a memory stick, that he would take home. Once home he loaded the information onto a private email account, where he saved it as a draft. His Russian handler would then log in to the email and take the information.

It is unclear what all information he gave the Russians, but that it was five years worth of information suggests that there very likely is some extremely crucial information.

Upon being caught, earlier this month, Delisle confessed everything and pleaded guilty, meaning there will be no trial.

Hurricane Sandy Begins US Strike

Hurricane Sandy began to effect the Eastern US, as it closed in on the seaboard.

As it collides with a winter storm, heading down from the arctic, it will bring as much as a foot of rain or two feet of snow, to twelve different states.

Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and parts of North Carolina have already declared varying levels of emergencies and warnings, as they brace for the impact.

In New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, and other cities all mass transit will be shut down as of 7pm EDT, schools will be closed on Monday, and low lying areas are being evacuated.

Evacuations of coastal areas, all up and down the eastern coast, have been announced, with most being voluntarily, but some being mandatory.

Airlines have cancelled more than five thousand flights, due to the storm, and Amtrak has announced a suspension of service in the affected areas.

Sandy is expected to make landfall, somewhere in the Mid Atlantic, on Monday evening, but hurricane winds will be striking the coast by Sunday night.

Expectations are for millions to lose power, land line phones, and possibly cell service.

The Hurricane killed at least sixty people, as it made it's way through the Caribbean.

Israel Swiftly Responds to Rocket Attack

Gaza militants launched rockets into Israel, on Sunday, ending a three day halt in the fighting.

The rockets did not cause any casualties.

Israel quickly responded with an air strike, which killed one militant and injured another.

It is yet unclear if this was an isolated occurrence, or whether rocket attacks will return to the numbers seen last week.

Last Tuesday and Wednesday saw around a hundred rockets launched, injuring at least six people in Israel.

Third Day For Chinese Protests Against Chemical Plant Expansion

Hundreds to thousands of people have continued to protest in Ningbo, China, for a third day.

They are protesting a planned expansion of a chemical factory.

Friday and Saturday saw dozens arrested and some injuries as protesters clashed with police.

Sunday saw the government agree not to expand, but they wouldn't give much details, causing the protesters to doubt their word.

Meetings between local citizens and the government have not gone well, according to local activists.

Some have reported that social media sites and photo uploading have been blocked, in the area.

La Parada Riots Enter Third Day

Riots in Peru have continued into their third day.

Authorities are trying to shut down La Parada, an extremely popular market, in Lima.

Officially they are doing so due to concerns over the cleanliness of the market, but it is used quite heavily by black marketeers.

Police have used tear gas, rubber bullets, and batons as they try to accomplish the closure.

At least four people have been killed, dozens injured, and over one hundred arrested.

Ten Dead After Suicide Bombing in Nigeria

A man drove an explosive loaded vehicle into a Nigerian church, Sunday morning, killing eight and injuring over one hundred.

The blast took out a wall of St Rita's and shook the town of Malali.

After the attack, angry Christian youths went into a Muslim neighborhood and killed at least two, before police were able to block their path.

Boko Haram, while not claiming responsibility, has been blamed for the attack, as they've attacked churches in similar ways before.

The terrorist group has been trying to turn Nigeria into a Muslim state, since 2009.

Around three thousand people have been killed since they began their attacks.

7.7 BC Quake Evacuates Hawaiian Beaches

A 7.7 earthquake was recorded just after midnight PST in the Queen Charlotte Islands, off British Columbia.

Aftershocks up to 6.3 have followed the quake.

Tsunami warnings were issued for the BC, Washington, and Hawaiian coasts.

Entire communities were evacuated from some British Columbian islands, but they have since been allowed to return.

Over 100,000 people were evacuated from Hawaiian coastal areas, but no big wave came.

Officials in Hawaii are keeping beaches closed, for now, as a precaution.

No major damage or injuries have been reported, anywhere, due to the quake.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Hurricane Sandy Kills 43

Sandy seen from the International Space Station

As Hurricane Sandy sets it's sights on the US east coast, the Caribbean is cleaning up after the mess left.

A total of forty-three people have been killed by the storm.

Haiti alone has seen twenty-nine people die, as rains have come down non stop since Tuesday.

Cuba, Jamaica, and the Bahamas have each taken direct hits from Sandy.

For part of Friday, Sandy lost part of it's strength, losing hurricane status for a few hours.

Several US states have preemptively declared emergencies, as they brace for impact.

The huge storm could drench a third of the US in rains and winds, and eliminate electricity for sixty million.

Worries are that it will turn into a "super storm" when it collides with the Arctic jet stream, which could cause the worst storm the US has seen in decades.

Indonesia Arrests 11 Plotting Attack on US Embassy

Indonesia announced that it had arrested eleven people who were plotting a terrorist attack upon the US embassy in Jakarta.

Other planned targets included the Australian embassy, the US consulate in Surabaya, offices of foreign groups, and popular tourist locations.

When their crack counter terrorism group raided the group they found bomb making materials, and at least one bomb that was ready to go.

The terrorists belonged to Harakah Sunni for the Indonesian Society, a recently developed militant group.

Police have been working hard to crackdown on terrorist groups, in the country, killing seven and arresting hundreds, in the process.

Thirty Killed in Baghdad Bombings

At least thirty people were killed in two separate explosions in Baghdad, early Saturday.

Twenty-three people were killed when a car bomb went off at a popular restaurant, in Sadr City.

Six Iranian pilgrims were killed when a bomb attached to their bus exploded.

In a third explosion, three children when a car bomb exploded near a playground.

The violence is marring the Islamic holiday of Eid al Adha, and has targeted Shi'ites.

It is likely that Al Qaeda, which is a Sunni terrorist group, is behind the attacks.

337 Now Ill With Meningitis

The meningitis outbreak has added more cases, on Saturday, now with 337 people ill from it and seven joint infections.

Twenty-five people have died from the contaminated steroid shots.

Meningitis can take forty-two days to surface, leading to the still growing epidemic.

All of the illnesses and deaths were caused by a contamination in anti inflammatory steroid shots, most of which were given via the spine.

Seventy-six locations, in twenty-three states, were sent the shots, which were given to as many as fourteen thousand people.

New England Compounding Center made the shots, and has complied completely with government officials who are conducting the investigation.

Officials are investigating at least two other drugs, made by NECC, for possibilities that they too may have been contaminated.

Things are only getting worse for the company, and now the government, as evidence comes out that they had been under investigation, for issues in their processing, since 2002.

Friday, October 26, 2012

Syrian Ceasefire Fails

The ceasefire in Syria failed before it could start as both sides continued fighting right up to and past the set time.

In an emphasis of it's failure, a car bomb went off in Damascus, killing five and wounding thirty-two.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN's envoy to Syria, had promised that he had delivered a four day cease fire, over the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Once again a UN promise to end the conflict was shown to be useless, as neither side actually will stop til they win.

At least thirty-five thousand people have been killed during the nineteen month conflict.

Canadian Embassy in DC Evacuated

Canada's embassy in Washington DC has been evacuated.

Officials evacuated the building after a "suspicious substance" was found in an envelope.

Part of Pennsylvania Avenue has been shut down, between 4th and 6th streets.

Metropolitan Police Department says that they have sent their Domestic Security Operations team, a Homeland Security unit that specializes in chemicals and hazardous materials.

NYPD Officer Arrested in Cannibalism Plot

Thursday, New York police arrested one of their own.

Officer Gilberto Valle III, twenty-eight, was charged with conspiracy to commit cannibalism, conspiracy to kidnap, conspiracy to commit rape, misuse of police resources, and others.

According to police, Valle and three others discussed, over the internet, plans for him to kidnap women, rape, torture, and cook them, and then distribute the meat to the other three.

He had apparently been planning this to the level of beginning to follow one of his targets through her daily schedule.

In one online discussion, he supposedly offered to kidnap a woman and sell her as a sex slave, for five thousand dollars.

His wife discovered his plans, fled to her family, and then contacted the FBI, turning over proof of his plans to them.

Manhattan federal court Magistrate Judge Henry Pitman stated, "I have never seen allegations similar to these in 16 years on the bench and five years as a prosecutor" as he denied bail.

Valle had been with the NYPD for six years, and was considered just an average cop.

Myanmar Violence Kills 112

The death toll in Myanmar has doubled since Thursday, coming up to one hundred and twelve, as of Friday morning.

Several thousand homes have been burned down, since Sunday, when violence between the Buddhist ethnic Rakhine and Rohingya Muslims reignited.

Violence has become so bad, that some Buddhist monks are threatening to leave monasteries and go to war, if the government doesn't step in.

It is unclear what started this round of fighting, but the two groups have a history of animosity.

Clashes between the two groups, in June, led to ninety deaths and more than three thousand homes being destroyed.

22 Killed by Hurricane Sandy

Santo Domingo

Hurricane Sandy tore through the Caribbean, over the last couple days, killing at least twenty-two people.

Eleven people were killed in Cuba as the storm went over them, on Thursday.

Ten were killed in Haiti and one in Jamaica, over Wednesday.

After striking Cuba, Sandy dropped back down to a Cateogry 1 storm.

Currently the storm is hitting the Bahamas, and the northern Caribbean.

Sandy is expected to make landfall in the US, either Monday or Tuesday, somewhere in the northern half of the east coast, causing storm warnings to be issued.

The southern half of the US has issued a tropical storm warning through Monday.

South Carolina Reports First Meningitis Case

South Carolina has become the eighteenth state with a case of meningitis.

Twenty-four people have been killed in the outbreak, that has sickened another 328, five of whom have secondary joint infections.

Meningitis can take forty-two days to surface, leading to the still growing epidemic.

All of the illnesses and deaths were caused by a contamination in anti inflammatory steroid shots, most of which were given via the spine.

Seventy-six locations, in twenty-three states, were sent the shots, which were given to as many as fourteen thousand people.

New England Compounding Center made the shots, and has complied completely with government officials who are conducting the investigation.

Officials are investigating at least two other drugs, made by NECC, for possibilities that they too may have been contaminated.

Things are only getting worse for the company, and now the government, as evidence comes out that they had been under investigation, for issues in their processing, since 2002.

Ted Turner Wishes More War Vets Committed Suicide

Mass Market Media Mogul Ted Turner opened his big mouth and opined on a topic near and dear to most of my friends, my family, my associates, my nation, and myself.

He said that he "thinks it is good US veterans are committing suicide".

Well isn't that a welcome bit of insight into the brain of a prominent leftist, especially one who so adamantly supports Barrack Obama's reelection and Obama's socialist policies that are destroying our country.

Like many on the left, Ted also failed history or he wants to rewrite it to reflect a false narrative devoid of the facts. Ted claimed that the military is an arcane concept that hasn't been necessary for over 100 years. He obviously cannot do the simple math that reveals World War I, World War II, the attempted genocide in Bosnia and Kosovo, the genocide and atrocities in Africa, the attempted genocide of Kurds in northern Iraq, and the war in Korea were all less than one hundred years ago.

Then again, Ted is a socialist that probably wishes Hitler had gone unopposed and taken over the world in the 1940s. He probably thinks Stalin would have made a better US President than FDR. Those are the only explanations for his comments calling the military an outdated necessity and veteran suicide a "good thing".

Let's not forget, Ted Turner married another maven of anti-American and anti-Veteran sentiment, the socialist diva Hanoi Jane. It figures that his views concerning the brave men and women who put their lives on the line so he is free to earn his billions and to open his yap would be in a manner to dishonor their sacrifice.

I am not sure of the latest statistics. However, a few months ago, the trend was that as many as eighteen veterans of the Global War on Terror were committing suicide a day. That is eighteen heroes choosing to end their lives each day. the average daily number of attempts is over thirty. Those statistics are a national tragedy and a national emergency.

To see what can be done to help our veterans in crisis, please visit STOP 18.

Turner and Fonda both opposed the Vietnam War so fully that they wished pain, misery, and torture upon those patriots who fought in the war. Now they wish the same upon the patriots who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. For people who allegedly love peace so much, it is nothing short of hypocrisy that they revel in the suffering and suicides of our nation's proud heroes.

That is the attitude of the left, out there on full display.

Article originally appears at P-G Matuszak's Mental Aikido.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Bin Laden Film, Starring Barack Obama, Will Debut Two Days Before Election Day

“SEAL Team Six: The Raid on Osama bin Laden”, a movie backed by longtime Democratic contributor and major Obama supporter, Harvey Weinstein, has apparently been recut in order to heighten Obama’s role in the movie.

The movie will debut on the National Geographic channel two days before election day. And, it’s scheduled to be released the next day on Netflix.

The movie focuses on the hunt, by intelligence operatives and Navy commandos, for Osama Bin Laden, who met his end on May 2, 2011.

According to the New York Times, giving Obama more of a starring role in the movie was Weinstein’s idea and producer, Meghan O’Hara, a working associate of Michael Moore, assembled the material needed to amplify Obama’s appearance in the movie.

Not surprisingly, critics have cited the timing of the movie debut as a campaign ploy. But, the unusual access filmmakers had to privileged information has also been raised as a concern.

Government officials have suggested that the White House leaked classified information to the filmmakers. However, the film’s producer, John Stockwell, has said that the sources used were “ex-Navy SEALS and sources within the intelligence community.” What Stockwell didn’t mention, and what was noted by Erica Ritz, writing for The Blaze, is that those sources could include officials close to the Obama administration.

According to a May 2012 article from Politico:

Just weeks after Pentagon and Central Intelligence Agency officials warned publicly of the dangers posed by leaks about the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, top officials at both agencies and at the White House granted Hollywood filmmakers unusual access to those involved in planning the raid and some of the methods they used to do it, newly released government records show.

This did not go unnoticed by Judicial Watch. Judicial Watch obtained DOD and CIA records detailing meetings with bin Laden Raid filmmakers. They have assembled the information together.

Remembering: The Battle of Agincourt

October 25, 1415 English forces under King Henry V stand their ground between two wooded areas, only a thousand yards wide.

Henry V placed his 1,500 men at arms in the center of the line, and split his eight thousand longbows to the wings.

Sharp stakes were placed in front of the archers veering them towards the center, through freshly plowed land that had been turned to mud by rains.

Facing them were at least twenty thousand French troops, centered around at least 2,400 heavy cavalry.

Confident of victory, the French nobles argued amongst themselves who would get to be in the front lines of the charge.

The French forces rushed forward, finding their archers unable to match the range of the English longbows.

As they were struck down by English arrows they were also squeezed close together by the sharpened stakes.

Once the centers finally met, the English were fresh and the French tired from marching through mud and arrows.

French troops found themselves pushed in so close to each other that they couldn't raise their weapons to fight the English.

Eventually the French broke as their reinforcements fled, seeing so many of their number falling in what they thought would be a short, easy day.

By the end of the battle more than six thousand French were killed, including many nobles.

Only four hundred English troops lost their lives.

The battle is still considered one of the most valuable lessons in military history.

Blue to Gold: ARMY Chief Warrant Officer Michael S Duskin

ARMY Chief Warrant Officer Michael S Duskin, forty-two, of Orange Park, Florida, died October 23, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.
Duskin, forty-two, died October 23, 2012, in the Chak District of Wardak Province, Afghanistan, when he was gunned down by small arms fire while on dismounted patrol during combat operations. The incident is not under investigation.

He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

He attended Middleburg High School, Duskin enlisted as a forward observer in the US Army in 1993. After completion of his initial training, to include the US Army Airborne School, he was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment. After serving three years with the 75th Ranger Regiment, Duskin left active duty and later joined the Florida National Guard. He attended the Special Forces Assessment and Selection Course and graduated from the Special Forces Qualification Course in August 1998. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the 3rd BN., 20th SFG ((A) as a Special Forces Engineer sergeant.

In 2001, Duskin was mobilized to active duty and deployed with the 2nd Bn., 3rd SFG (A). After the deployment he returned to active duty and remained a member of the unit. He served with the 2nd Bn, for more than five years, deploying four additional times, before being assigned to the U,S, Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School as an instructor. While serving as an instructor, he attended the Special Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course, graduating in May 2010. He was then assigned to the 1st Bn., 3rd SFG (A) as an assistant detachment commander in Company A. This was his second deployment to Afghanistan in that position.

Hi military education includes US Army Airborne School, Warrior Leaders Course, Advanced Leaders Course, Jungle Operations Training Course, Special Forces Qualification Course, Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course, Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course, the Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course, Special Operations Target Interdiction Course, Jump-master Course, Warrant Officer Basic Course, and the Special Forces Warrant Officer Technical and Tactical Certification Course.

Duskin's military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (2), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Joint Commendation Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (3), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the National Defense Service Medal (2), the Armed Forced Expeditionary MMedal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Non-commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon (2), the Army Service Robbin, the Expert Infantryman Badge, the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Basic Parachutist Badge, and the Special Forces Tab. He was posthumously awarded another Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, and Purple Heart Medal.

2 British and 2 US Troops Killed in Green on Blue Attacks

Whilst on patrol Wednesday night, two British soldiers were killed by a nonuniformed Afghan male.

Officials believe that he was a member of the Afghan Police.

Only a few hours later, early Thursday morning, two US personnel were shot down by someone wearing an Afghan National Police uniform.

Both incidents are being investigated as "green on blue attacks".

In 2012 alone, there have been forty-five deaths in thirty-four incidents of such attacks, that is more than every other year combined.

None of the four coalition troops have yet been identified, but the units of the British soldiers have been released.

They were a Royal Marine from 40 Commando Royal Marines and a female soldier from 3 Medical Regiment.

Syrian Government Agrees to Cease Fire

Assad, left, shaking hands with Brahimi

Syria's regime has announced that they will stand by a cease fire agreement made with the UN envoy.

On Wednesday, Lakhdar Brahimi, announced that he had reached the agreement with them, but it took til now for Syria to confirm.

According to the Syrian military they will stand by the agreement, but reserve the right to defend themselves and keep rebel forces from reinforcing their lines.

The cease fire will last from Friday through Monday, during the Eid al-Adha holiday.

No word has come from the rebel groups over whether they will acknowledge it or not.

They will most likely wait to see if the national government holds to their own word, before agreeing to it.

56 Killed in Myanmar Violence

At least fifty-six people have been killed in violence in Myanmar, since Sunday.

Ethnic violence has erupted, once again, between the Buddhist Rakhine and Muslim Rohingya communities.

Nearly two thousand homes have been burned down as the two groups try to force each other out of the region.

The Myanmar government has issued a curfew, in hopes of curtailing the violence.

Clashes between the two groups, in June, led to ninety deaths and more than three thousand homes being destroyed.

At least seventy-five thousand people became refugees after the last round.

It is unclear what specifically set this latest fighting off.

Pages