The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either. – Benjamin Franklin
– Another Snapshot Of The European Recovery (ZeroHedge, May 12, 2014):
What can one say… Europe’s stock markets are booming, bond yields (and spreads) are tumbling… and earnings growth expectations are – collapsing…
What a difference 2 months make… from expectations of over 9% growth to a dismal 2% growth (and falling)…
– How a Single Tweet Could Land a Japanese Nuclear Activist in Jail (Vice, May 11, 2014):
In 2012, more than 15,000 people living near the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant filed a criminal complaint at the Fukushima prosecutors’ office. They alleged that Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) and the Japanese central government were criminally negligent for the March 2011 Fukushima meltdown and the way in which the resulting cleanup was handled.
The Fukushima police, however, declined to investigate. And prosecutors quietly dropped all charges against TEPCO, arguing that it was too difficult to prove criminal negligence even though several third-party watchdogs found that TEPCO and government officials had failed to carry out measures necessary to prevent the disaster despite knowing that a devastating earthquake could potentially strike near the plant. Even an independent investigative commission set up by the Japanese National Diet had concluded, “The meltdown was a manmade disaster.”
Meanwhile, Fukushima police and prosecutors have set their sites on a cnamed Mari Takenouchi because she wrote a tweet critical of a nuclear lobbyist. Takenouchi may go to jail for it.
* * *
Fukushima police and prosecutors are currently investigating Takenouchi for criminal contempt; if found guilty, she could face a month in jail. Prosecutors confirmed they will be flying to Okinawa, where Takenouchi lives, to question her on May 13. Police have already traveled from Fukushima to Okinawa to interrogate her — an unusual occurrence.
“We only send police officers from one prefecture to another if the subject is really a potentially dangerous criminal,” Fukushima police spokesman Lieutenant Tadashi Terashima told VICE News.
Read moreHow A Single Tweet Could Land A Japanese Nuclear Activist In Jail
– Ron Paul: Why is US involved in Ukraine? (RT, May 12, 2014):
The United States is being hypocritical in its response to the armed clashes between Kiev and pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine, former Congressman Ron Paul wrote in a new column.
In the column, published by the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity, the former libertarian lawmaker questioned the American role in the conflict unfolding in Ukraine, criticizing the US for blaming recent outbreaks of violence on Russian sympathizers rather than the Ukrainian military.
– NSA embedded surveillance tools within exported US computer hardware (RT, May 12, 2014):
While the United States has warned against buying Chinese routers due to surveillance concerns, a new book about the Edward Snowden revelations states America has been intercepting and tinkering with routers intended for foreign customers.
According to Glenn Greenwald – one of the journalists entrusted with Snowden’s leaked documents – the National Security Agency has been implanting devices into routers headed overseas since at least 2010.
In an extract from Greenwald’s new book, titled “No Place to Hide,” the journalist states the NSA “routinely receives – or intercepts – routers, servers, and other computer network devices being exported from the US before they are delivered to the international customers.”
Read moreNSA Embedded Surveillance Tools Within Exported US Computer Hardware
– Former CIA director: ‘We kill people based on metadata’ (RT, May 12, 2014):
At a recent debate concerning the National Security Agency’s bulk surveillance programs, former CIA and NSA director Michael Hayden admitted that metadata is used as the basis for killing people.
The comments were made during a debate at Johns Hopkins University, after Georgetown University Law Center professor David Cole detailed the kind of information the government can obtain simply by collecting metadata – who you call, when you call them, how long the call lasts, and how often calls between the two parties are made.
Although NSA supporters often claim such metadata collection is permissible considering the content of the call is not collected, Cole argued that is not the case, since the former general counsel of the NSA, Stewart Baker, has already stated metadata alone is more than enough to reveal vast amounts of an individual’s personal information
Writing in the New York Review of Books, Cole elaborated (you can also watch his explanation around the 14 minute mark of the embedded video):
“Of course knowing the content of a call can be crucial to establishing a particular threat. But metadata alone can provide an extremely detailed picture of a person’s most intimate associations and interests, and it’s actually much easier as a technological matter to search huge amounts of metadata than to listen to millions of phone calls. As NSA General Counsel Stewart Baker has said, ‘metadata absolutely tells you everything about somebody’s life. If you have enough metadata, you don’t really need content.’
“When I quoted Baker at a recent debate at Johns Hopkins University, my opponent, General Michael Hayden, former director of the NSA and the CIA, called Baker’s comment ‘absolutely correct,’ and raised him one, asserting, ‘We kill people based on metadata.’”
Hayden paused after making this statement – around the 18 minute mark of the video – and then qualified it by adding, “but that’s not what we do with this metadata.”
Read moreFormer CIA & NSA Director: ‘We Kill People Based On Metadata’ (Video)
White House press secretary Jay Carney
– US does not recognize referendums in Ukraine (PressTV, May 12, 2014):
White House spokesman Jay Carney says the United States does not recognize the results of Sunday’s autonomy referendums in Ukraine’s eastern regions of Donetsk and Lugansk.
In a press conference on Monday, Carney said the votes are “illegal under Ukrainian law” and they were “a transparent attempt to create further division and disorder.”
The White House also blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin over the crisis in the country.
– Donetsk Warns Ukraine Army Located In The East To “Leave In 48 Hours” Or Face War (ZeroHedge, May 12, 2014):
Update: And just to make sure Russia has a catalyst:
- UKRAINE FORCES ATTACK EASTERN CITY OF SLOVYANSK, INTERFAX SAYS
* * *
With the US having voiced its support for Ukraine’s “anti-terrorist” operations, and Russia strongly supportive of pro-Russian people’s decisions to regional self-determination, the threats coming from the newly independent regions are a concern (that markets clearly do not care about):
- DONETSK ARMY SAYS WILL FIGHT UKRAINE FORCES IF DEADLINE IGNORED
Ukrainian military forces have 48 hours to leave the region or Donetsk own “anti-terrorist” forces will fight. Of course, with the US already saying the referendums are illegal and not recognizing them, we suspect it will be time for more sanctions soon (despite the lessons below).
Insurgent group army of so-called Donetsk People’s Republic “will start its own anti-terrorist operation in Donetsk region” against Ukrainian military forces if they don’t heed seperatist army chief Igor Girkin’s 48-hour ultimatum to leave or obey him, head of seperatist group, Denis Pushilin, says by phone.
So… buy stocks?
And a different perspective on which the western approach to resolving the Ukraine crisis may not be exactly “working.”
– And The Biggest Binge-Drinkers In America Are… (ZeroHedge, May 12, 2014):
“Responsibly,” Bloomberg surveyed adults aged 26 and older across America and found that almost one-third of D.C. residents report binge-drinking in the last month. Utah, perhaps unsurprisingly, had the lowest binge-drinking percentage at a mere 15% (defined as five or more drinks in one day).
The results were from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an Agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They were based on data collected in 2011 and 2012 from approximately 67,500 individuals. Binge alcohol use is defined as drinking five or more drinks on the same occasion on at least one day in the past 30 days.
Flashback (MUST-SEE):
– Dr. Andrew Saul: Nutritional Solution To Depression And Mental Illness (Video):
– How bananas are better than pills for treating depression, constipation and more (Natural News, May 11, 2014):
They’re often the fruit of choice for athletes looking to boost their electrolyte levels and get a quick energy boost, but bananas are a whole lot more than just a sweet treat or a pleasant addition to a morning smoothie. Rich in vitamins, minerals and other beneficial compounds, bananas can also serve as a natural remedy for treating depression, promoting regularity, boosting brain power and calming the nerves, among other important functions within the body.
A closer look at the scientific literature on bananas reveals a host of little-known benefits associated with eating the fruit. Everything from regulating blood pressure and healing a damaged gut to relieving the symptoms of arthritis and even battling drug addiction have been attributed to this simple fruit, easily labeling it as one of the most amazing, widely available and inexpensive superfruits known to man.
Read moreHow Bananas Are Better Than Pills For Treating Depression, Constipation And More
– Russia to send first batch of Yak-130 jets to Syria (PressTV, May 11, 2014):
Russia plans to deliver the first batch of subsonic two-seat advanced Yakovlev Yak-130 jet trainer/light attack aircraft to Syria by the end of this year in a show of support for President Bashar Assad’s government.
Citing an unnamed source close to Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport, Russian daily newspaper Kommersant, wrote on Monday that Damascus will receive nine aircraft until the end of 2014, and in the next two years,12 and 15 respectively.
Read moreRussia To Send First Batch Of Yak-130 Jets To Syria
Gen. al-Sheikh takes oath of office as new governor of restive Syrian province in 2011. (EPA)
– Israel Assassinates Syrian General (Richard Silverstein, May 8, 2014):
The respected publication, Intelligence Online, reported today that Samir al-Sheikh, the Syrian general responsible for intelligence operations in the southern sector bordering the Golan Heights, was assassinated on April 13th. The publication notes that the typical Syrian resistance means of assassination are booby-trapped cars or grenades. This killing was committed with a gun fitted with a silencer, indicating a different likely author of the crime.
The Hezbollah-aligned Al Akhbar noted that no Syrian resistance groups took responsibility for the killing. It also said:
– SEC Official Claims Over 50% of Private Equity Audits Reveal Criminal Behavior (Liberty Blitzkrieg, May 12, 2014):
Last week, Yves Smith of Naked Capitalism penned a fantastic piece leveraging a talk by SEC official Drew Bowden. Mr. Bowden heads the SEC’s examinations unit, and at a private equity conference he explained that “more than 50 percent of private equity firms it has audited have engaged in serious infractions of securities laws.” What is so incredible about the talk, is that while Bowden goes into details of shady practice after shady practice, he ultimately admits that the SEC isn’t being particularly aggressive with the private equity industry because “we believe that most people in the industry are trying to do the right thing, to help their clients, to grow their business, and to provide for their owners and employees.”
Yes, go ahead and read that again. The industry regulator is assuming that private equity firms are trying to do the right thing, despite the fact that audits demonstrated to a tune of greater than 50% the opposite to be true.
Private equity managers are some of the savviest people in finance and they know exactly what they are doing. What the SEC is basically admitting, is that private equity firms are also “too big to regulate” and, of course, “too big to jail.” After all, every single person at the SEC is likely angling for a big payday at a PE firm via the revolving door. Of course they aren’t going to regulate.
Meanwhile, if you are just an average citizen, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law if you commit even the most minor infraction. This sort of behavior led to the death of prodigy Aaron Swartz, the incarceration of political prisoner Barrett Brown, a swat team raid on a young kid in Peroia, Illinois for a parody Twitter account, the firing of a constriction worker for not paying for a $0.89 soda refill. This list goes on and on. Yet private equity crimes, which likely run into the billions collectively, are treated with kid gloves. As I have maintained many times before, this is how the social fabric of a society dies.
Read moreSEC Official Claims Over 50% of Private Equity Audits Reveal Criminal Behavior
– The Silent Crash of China’s Currency (ZeroHedge, May 11, 2014):
The financial markets in the West are barely pulling themselves together these days and over the last few weeks and months we have discussed the underlying issues at length; especially in the United States the pressure is on as the Fed’s tapering program continues ruthlessly. The US is not the only part of the world, however, where the skies are grey above the markets. We have not read a lot of positive news about the East lately either, where specifically China’s economy is in a slump.
– Vladimir Putin Plays Epic Hockey Game, Has 6 Goals And 5 Assists (Huffington Post, May 12, 2014):
One of Russia’s leading newscasts was interrupted Saturday night with reports on President Vladimir Putin’s latest attempt to subdue his enemies and assert his dominance.
But this time, it was on a hockey rink in Sochi.
Wearing a red (of course) jersey bearing the number 11, the Russian president led a team of hockey stars — including several former NHL players — to a 21-4 victory, with Putin himself getting 6 goals, according to reports.
Read moreVladimir Putin Plays Epic Hockey Game, Has 6 Goals And 5 Assists (Video)
From the article:
Though the Kremlin didn’t directly say it recognized the referendum, it said it “respected” the vote and called it the will of the people. In a statement, the Kremlin expressed hope “that the practical implementation of the outcome of the referendums will be carried out in a civilized manner without any recurrence of violence, through dialogue between representatives of Kiev, Donetsk and Luhansk.”
– Ukraine Separatists Ask to Join Russia (Wall Street Journal, May 11, 2014):
Kremlin Calls for Talks Between Government and Rebels, Putting Pressure on Kiev
Separatist leaders in Ukraine’s volatile Donetsk region formally asked to become part of Russia on Monday, hours after the Kremlin welcomed its controversial vote to declare independence and urged the Kiev government to hold talks with the rebels.
The Kremlin didn’t immediately respond to the separatist request. But it marks the most acute threat to Ukraine’s territorial integrity since the annexation of Crimea in March, putting further pressure on Kiev to negotiate with separatists or face further chaos in the east.
Separatist leaders said the Sunday secession vote passed overwhelmingly in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, but voters weren’t asked to decide whether they wanted their regions to become part of Russia or stay part of Ukraine. They were asked only whether they supported independence for their respective regions.
… and protect your food from Fukushima fallout.
Description:
My 22′ Growing Dome has no heater, -28Degrees F and is still producing Winter vegetables; lettuce, carrots, beet, turnip, kale, broccoli, tatsoi, arugula, swiss chard, spinach, plus lots of vibrant herbs. Amazing: constantly blows me away
“We have the most moral army in the world.”
– Ehud Barak
Added:May 11, 2014
Description:
The message is simple: DON’T EVER VOTE FOR A FRIEND OF ISRAEL.
Please distribute this video as widely as possible. It is one of the few chances that the Un-chosen People have of fighting back.
But be careful who you ask for advice. If I were a Friend of Israel (perish the thought) I would try to infiltrate as many anti-Israel organisations that I could, including websites that purported to be pro-Palestinian.
Remember Mossad’s motto: “By way of Deception, Thou Shalt Do War.”
Links:
Read moreWhat Does It Mean To Be A Friend Of Israel? (Video)
A former Marine Corps officer, Jim Fetzer has published widely on the theoretical foundations of scientific knowledge, computer science, artificial intelligence, cognitive science, and evolution and mentality.
McKnight Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota Duluth, he has also conducted extensive research into the assassination of JFK, the events of 9/11, and the plane crash that killed Sen. Paul Wellstone.
The founder of Scholars for 9/11 Truth, his latest books include The Evolution of Intelligence (2005), The 9/11 Conspiracy (2007), Render Unto Darwin (2007), and The Place of Probability in Science (2010).
– All NSA intel goes directly to Israel: Analyst (PressTV, May 4, 2014):
The US National Security Agency (NSA) directly sends all of the intelligence that it gathers to the Israeli regime, a political analyst tells Press TV.
“We now know that all of the NSA’s spying is going directly to Israel,” James H. Fetzer, a professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth, said in a Saturday interview.
Read moreVeterans Today’s Jim Fetzer: All NSA Intel Goes Directly To Israel
FYI.
– Obama’s ‘Dead Pool’ (Nachumlist, Updated May 8, 2014):
Deaths connected to the Obama White House
Mama Lois” Anderson: 79, and her 52 year old daughter Zelda White: Two US women aid workers were shot dead in Nairobi in Kenya (2008) were the retired Presbyterian Church missionaries of Pennsylvania (USA), known to thousands of Africans. The suspected killers of the US women, who were travelling in a car with diplomatic license plates, allegedly shot dead by police later. They were well known for their work. There is speculation that they possibly had knowledge of the birth and care for Barack Obama in Kenya and were later murdered to cover the trail. When murdered, the Husband had his full wallet which the thieves/car jacker didn’t take, and there was never a connection made to the said attackers the police later shot dead, but blamed for the double homicide/car jacking. Their church was burned in 2008, possibly to destroy any possible birth records there. Then police chief Mohammed Hussein Ali was later removed from office by Obama supported Kenyan strongman Odinga. All possible witnesses ended up dead, all possible records of the care of infant Obama burned in the church fire, and the public official responsible out of office.
Lt. Col. Christopher Raible and Sgt. Bradley Atwell: Died in the Camp Bastion attack 3 days after the Benghazi attack
Jeff Joe Black: Found dead on a hiking trail from “blunt force trauma to the head“: Chicago activist who claimed that Emmanuel was put into place in Chicago to oversee a coming false flag event.
Larry Bland and Nate Spencer: Two other black members of Trinity Church Murdered at the same time – Report: Mother Of Obama’s Murdered Gay Lover Speaks Up — With Video
Andrew Breitbart – Died of a massive heart attack, walking outside late at night, alone, in the dark approximately one week before he was to produce tapes of Obama’s extremist activities in college. More speculation: Breitbart: “Wait ‘Til They See What Happens March 1st”, Breitbart’s Footage Shows Obama ‘Palling Around’ With Terrorists….. Sheriff Joe Arpaio: I Spoke with Andrew Breitbart Shortly Before he Died ……An Eyewitness Speaks Out About Andrew Breitbart’s Death Scene… Breitbart’s skin color described as bright red. … Was Andrew Breitbart assassinated?…More murder speculation: Was Andrew Breitbart Murdered?……….Coroner: Breitbart Died of Heart Failure…* Christopher Lasseter, Dissapears…..witness to Breitbart’s death vanishes -Follows suspicious demise of member of coroner’s team (possibly in hiding to avoid reporters), …. Breitbart witness: He dropped like sack of bricks Describes ‘thick white band’ around forehead at death ; Ex-CIA Agent Claims Obama Killed Breitbart and Clancy (story also linked here ) ; Ex-CIA Agent Claims Obama Had Breitbart and Clancy Killed ; Brandon Walker interviews Doctor Jim Garrow, philanthropist and worker for one of the largest non-profit organizations on the planet to save female children from slaughter in China.. states he knows that President Obama ordered the murders of Tom Clancy and Andrew Breitbart (Audio)
Steve Bridges Dies At 48 – Impersonator Who Offended 0bama …Steve Bridges as President Obama – August 2011 ….It appeared that he died of natural causes...: On the Steve Bridges website, they are now calling his death ‘an accident”...that the probable cause of death was due to “upper airway anaphylaxis”, caused by a severe allergic reaction.. — CSI Show: Murder by anaphalaxis?… A real life example of possible murder by anaphalaxis
Tom Clancy Dies at 66; actual list of cause of death on his autopsy, cause of death unknown.; Ex-CIA Agent Claims Obama Killed Breitbart and Clancy– Dr. Garrow states President Obama had Tom Clancy killed as well and noted that it takes 5 days for plant toxins and most poisons to break down and leave no traces in the human body. Amazingly enough, or coincidentally, the doctors did not perform an autopsy on Tom Clancy’s body for 5 days. (story also linked here ) ; Did Tom Clancy, who died in October… predict Russia’s move on Ukraine in his book “Command Authority?
Robin Copeland, 46, 11/4/2011: former Energy Department official who took part in several significant disarmament programs, died suddenly
Read moreObama’s ‘Dead Pool’: Deaths Connected To The Obama White House
Infinite Unknown reader S. M. donated € 10 (monthly donation).
Thank you for your continuing support!
– 89% Of Donetsk Voters Pick Independence From Kiev; Ukraine Prepared To Fight To Defend Territory (ZeroHedge, May 11, 2014):
The east Ukraine referendum is over, and as widely expected, the vast majority have picked independence. From AFP’s Marc Burleigh:
Rebels in Donetsk in east #Ukraine give press conference & claim 89% of voters in province cast ballots in favour of self-rule @AFP
— Marc Burleigh (@marcburleigh) May 11, 2014
Rebel vote-counter Roman Lyagin tells reporters in #Ukraine‘s Donetsk that 89.07% voted in favour, 10.19% against – ‘final results’ he says
— Marc Burleigh (@marcburleigh) May 11, 2014
RIA adds that according to Ukraine rebels, the final turnout in the Donetsk vote was 74.87%.
Some comments from those voting for independence:
– Cameron, Confiscation, And “What’s Yours Ain’t Yours!” (Armstrong Economics,, May 10, 2014):
David Cameron has come out and argued that taxes will rise unless he can raid bank accounts in the UK. Cameron argues he will “have to put up taxes” unless tax officials are given draconian powers to raid people’s bank accounts if they think they even owe money. Trust me – all politicians share ideas. Obama is already conniving a way to do the same thing – you can bet on that.
There is no elite private conspiracy of some dominating group. That implies some comprehension of what is even possible. I have sat in the room with such people and these conspiracy stories give these people way too much credit for being intelligent. Nobody smart enough to handle the job ever seeks such positions. Governments are run by lawyer-politicians who think they need only decree some law that solves the problem. They understand nothing. Why should people keep money in a bank in the UK after Cameron makes such a statement? He is way too stupid to realize people act in anticipation.
Read moreCameron, Confiscation, And ‘What’s Yours Ain’t Yours!’
– Angela Merkel On The Ledge: “This Is Not Fair… I Am Not Going To Commit Suicide” (ZeroHedge, May 11, 2014):
What is most remarkable about the following detailed FT profile of the Cannes November 3-4, 2011 G-20 summit (when Europe, knowing well virtually every other option had been exhausted and was forced to grovel for Chinese cash)…
…is not that Obama, facing an election and fearful of what a Eurozone disintegration and depression would mean to the US economy and more importantly, to his re-election chances, managed to bring German chancellor Angela Merkel to tears, which he did…
To the astonishment of almost everyone in the room, Angela Merkel began to cry.
“Das ist nicht fair.” That is not fair, the German chancellor said angrily, tears welling in her eyes. “Ich bringe mich nicht selbst um.” I am not going to commit suicide.
For those who witnessed the breakdown in a small conference room in the French seaside resort of Cannes, it was shocking enough to watch Europe’s most powerful and emotionally controlled leader brought to tears.
But the scene was even more remarkable, those present said, for the two objects of her ire: the man sitting next to her, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and the other across the table, US President Barack Obama.
– Iran claims copy of captured US drone will soon take test flight (The Guardian, May 11, 2014):
• Officer says on state TV: ‘We have broken its secrets’
• White House blamed 2011 loss on technical problem
Iran said on Sunday it had succeeded in copying a US drone it captured in December 2011. State television broadcast images apparently showing the replicated aircraft.
Iran captured the US RQ-170 Sentinel while it was in its airspace, apparently on a mission to spy on the country’s nuclear sites, US media reported.
At the time, the White House blamed the loss on a technical problem causing a loss of control. Iran claimed to have brought the drone down by electronically disrupting its GPS system.
US military officials tried to play the incident down, saying Iran did not have the technology to decipher the drone’s secrets, and President Barack Obama asked the Islamic republic to return the Sentinel.
Read moreIran Claims Copy Of Captured US Drone Will Soon Take Test Flight
– Farming on a Rooftop (National Geographic):
In New York City, farming on a rooftop is not just an idea. Brooklyn Grange farms more than two and a half acres of rooftops in Brooklyn and Queens, and then sells what it produces to New Yorkers. A special soil mixture is used to minimize weight on the roofs and allow rapid drainage during heavy downpours. The farmed rooftops also house chickens and an apiary.
…