Many studies have addressed the question of whether mental disorder is associated with creativity, but high-quality epidemiological evidence has been lacking. According to a study of people in Sweden, artistic education and may really increase the odds of experiencing mental health conditions.
Thursday, May 10, 2018
EMP Commission Warns Of Year-Long Blackout And A Massive Death Toll
A federal EMP commission report warns that even the smallest EMP attack on our grid system would down it for about a year, if not longer. A year-long blackout would certainly be coupled with a massive death toll that would devastate entire populations.
The so-called EMP Commission report said that this threat is very real, jeopardizes “modern civilization,” and would set back living conditions to those last seen in the 1800s. As a result of the chaos, millions would likely die, according to the report titled “Assessing the Threat from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP),” from the recently re-established Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack.
“The United States — and modern civilization more generally — faces a present and continuing existential threat from naturally occurring and man-made electromagnetic pulse assault and related attacks on military and critical national infrastructures. A nationwide blackout of the electric power grid and grid-dependent critical infrastructures — communications, transportation, sanitation, food and water supply — could plausibly last a year or longer. Many of the systems designed to provide renewable, stand-alone power in case of an emergency, such as generators, uninterruptible power supplies, and renewable energy grid components, are also vulnerable to EMP attack,” said the 27-page report.
“A long-term outage owing to EMP could disable most critical supply chains, leaving the U.S. population living in conditions similar to centuries past, prior to the advent of electric power,” said the July 2017 report provided Secrets.
“In the 1800s, the U.S. population was less than 60 million, and those people had many skills and assets necessary for survival without today’s infrastructure. An extended blackout today could result in the death of a large fraction of the American people through the effects of societal collapse, disease, and starvation,” added the executive summary.
Three reports on the issue of an EMP attack have been declassified by the Pentagon and seven more are awaiting clearance. Among those declassified documents, was a report from Peter Vincent Pry, who served on a prior EMP Commission and is executive director of the Task Force on National and Homeland Security, spelling out the human toll of an EMP attack on the electric grid. He also advises the current commission.
In “Life Without Electricity,” he said the results would be horrific for most, as the vast majority of Americans have virtually no survival skills. He believes the whole year would look something like this:
- Social Disorder: Looting requires a dusk to dawn curfew for those not wanting to risk their lives. People become refugees as they flee powerless homes. The workforce becomes differently employed at scavenging for the basics, including water, food, and shelter.
- Communications: No TV, radio, or phone service.
- Transportation: Gas pumps will be inoperable. Failure of signal lights and street lights would impede traffic and all traffic would cease after dark, but not many would even have a functioning vehicle anyway. No mass transit metro service and all airlines will be stopped.
- Water and Food: There will be no running water. Stoves and refrigerators will be inoperable. People will have to melt snow, boil water, and cook over open fires. Local food supplies will be exhausted. Most stores will close due to the blackout.
- Energy: Oil and natural gas flows will stop.
- Emergency Medical: Hospitals will have to operate in the dark. Patients on dialysis and other life support will be threatened. Medications administered and babies will be born by flashlight.
- Death and Injury: Casualties from exposure, carbon dioxide poisoning, and house fires increase.
All of these should be kept in mind when prepping for the worst.
Since it’s hard to take that first step and prepare, especially for a year-long power grid failure, a handy guide we’ve often suggested is called The Prepper’s Blueprint. Written by Tess Pennigton, it’ll walk the reader through a prepping regimen with a guide and easy to follow instructions. It’ll give beginning preppers a foundation to build on.
Read the entire EMP Commission report by following the link below:
https://www.scribd.com/document/378714199/EMP-Report
[VIDEO] Bizarre Leftist Claims Parents Need Consent From Babies Before Changing Diapers
Leftists just continue to get stranger in their ideology and quest towards a completely totalitarian/government-controlled society. But now, one bizarre woman claims that parents need consent from their babies before a diaper can be changed.
A fiction novel could never do justice to the ridiculousness of the modern liberal. This is evidenced in an interview conducted by ABC with a terrifyingly serious woman who claims parents should have to get consent from their babies before removing fecal matter from their behinds. The woman who made the ridiculous claim is now under fire.
Deanne Carson, who describes herself as a “sexuality educator, speaker, and author” on Twitter says asking the babies permission would set up an atmosphere of “consent” from birth.
Don’t believe us? Have a look at the video:
Not kidding – look:
She even admits the baby can’t actually respond with consent, but it’s the thought that counts. “Of course the baby is not going to respond, ‘Yes mum, that’s awesome. I’d love to have my nappy changed.’ But if you leave a space, and wait for body language and wait to make eye contact, then you’re letting that child know that their response matters,” Carson says.
What kind of body language are we waiting for here? A different response than a baby screaming because the feces stuck to their sensitive skin is irritating? This woman is a lunatic and we aren’t the only ones who thought so.
LAD Bible reported that many people who saw the segment were completely in amazement at the level of irrationality displayed. People were left feeling pretty confused, shocked and annoyed by her comments, with one writing on Twitter: “If parents are getting advice from this woman about raising a baby then the baby should be removed from parents care.”
Another wrote: “What in the hell is WRONG with these people?”
Someone else said: “Must admit I was watching the whole interview open-mouthed and shaking my head when it was broadcast, and couldn’t believe the interviewer wasn’t remotely questioning some of the nonsense this lady was coming out with.
Sky News commentator Rowan Dean heard about Carson’s comments and was not happy, accurately slamming the segment as “lefty lunacy” on air. “Here we go, Ross,” Dean said to his co-presenter. But he seemed pretty lost for words by the segment, adding: “A consent for changing nappies – I think that might get a bit, uh… Anyway, I won’t go there.”
City Slaps Burn Victim with Violation for Not Mowing Lawn While He Was in the Hospital
After a homeowner was sent to the hospital with severe burns when a natural gas explosion damaged his home, the city threatened him with fines for not mowing his lawn.
The post City Slaps Burn Victim with Violation for Not Mowing Lawn While He Was in the Hospital appeared first on The Free Thought Project.
Activists Uncover Pre-Crime Police Program Operated by the LAPD
One of the most controversial aspects of “policing in the 21st century” is the notion that if police can sweep all information into centralized databases and let artificial intelligence do the investigative work of making connections, then crimes can be prevented before they happen: pre-crime.
One would imagine that if police felt that the public would wholeheartedly embrace this technique, they would be quick to publicly disclose its use and effectiveness. Troublingly, this has not been the case. It has taken the intrepid work of investigative reporters, as well as activists dedicated to stopping warrantless police surveillance, to uncover the details that have been mired in secrecy at several high-profile police departments around the country.
Perhaps the most disturbing of the programs came to light in February by Ali Winston who wrote an investigative report for The Verge exposing a contract between the New Orleans PD and Palantir Technologies. The program was so secretive that not even the city’s elected representatives were made aware of it until the article was published. Subsequently, New Orleans did cancel the contract with Palantir. However, as I reported at the time, Palantir is one of the foremost leaders in the field of predictive algorithms for intelligence work internationally and is directly connected to the CIA. One would naturally have to posit that other police departments must be pursuing similar relationships with Palantir.
A new public records request was filed by activists for the Stop LA Spying Coalition that did, in fact, uncover Palantir’s presence at the LAPD. The results were provided to In Justice Today. The picture that the documents paint looks similar to that which has been detailed in New Orleans and offers additional insight about what is already being utilized, apparently without citizen input and without proper oversight. The result is a “probable offender” list compiled by computer algorithm that has put a target on the backs of anyone swept up in the data stream.
These surveillance reports identify “probable offenders” in select neighborhoods, based on an LAPD point-based predictive policing formula. Analysts find information for their reports using Palantir software, which culls data from police records, including field interview cards and arrest reports, according to an updated LAPD checklist formula, which uses broader criteria than the past risk formula the department was known to have used. These reports, known as Chronic Offender Bulletins, predate Palantir’s involvement with the LAPD, but since the LAPD began using the company’s data-mining software in September 2011, the department claims that bulletins that would have taken an hour to compile now take “about five minutes.”
Los Angeles police argue that targeting “chronic offenders” in this manner helps lower crime rates while being minimally invasive. But the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, a community-based alliance that has advocated against increased LAPD surveillance efforts since 2012, paints a different picture of the Chronic Offender Bulletin program. The group calls it a “racist feedback loop” in which police surveil a set number of people based on data that’s generated by their own racially biased policing, creating more monitoring and thereby more arrests.
Field interview cards, for example, which provide information for the predictive checklist, often result from on-the-street racial profiling, argues Jamie Garcia, the lead organizer on the Predictive Policing campaign with the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. “When we look at LAPD stops, the black population is completely overrepresented,” said Garcia in a phone call. The directives, she says, direct officers “to find these people and to basically harass them…. If you’re constantly being surveilled, constantly being harassed, the chance of something going wrong … The next thing you know, you’re a chalk outline.”
Legal scholars have noted that the institutionalization of risk formulas like the LAPD’s Chronic Offender program checklist can exacerbate existing patterns of discrimination by oversampling those already discriminated against, generating even more biased data that justifies further discrimination.
The LAPD declined IJT’s request for interview, and did not provide answers to written queries about the program. In an email to IJT, Palantir spokesperson Lisa Gordon confirmed that Palantir is used in the creation of Chronic Offender Bulletins, but stressed that the software does not automatically generate the reports and that the selection and vetting of people on these lists are part of “a human-driven process.”
How Pre-Crime Investigations Begin
The target identification process starts with a LAPD analyst looking for “probable offenders” by surveying police records. According to the LAPD documents, analysts deploy Palantir’s file-organizing software to conduct “work-ups” of these individuals, looking for records that add points to their predictive risk scores, which are based on factors, such as whether they are on parole and their number of police contacts in the last two years. Below is an image of one of these “work-ups,” generated a few months before the department adopted Palantir, which IJT found online, completely unredacted, in a May 2013 LAPD presentation.
Once again, we see that not only have the details been kept secret until a forced reveal, but any ensuing questions from the public subjected to the surveillance are treated with disdain. This does nothing to alleviate concerns that these programs have a nefarious purpose. Moreover, the debate is still out as to whether this technology is accurate enough to be used in law enforcement. Even experts in the field have serious concerns (Please see: “Predictive Algorithms Are No Better At Telling The Future Than A Crystal Ball”).
Every police department should be open to requests from the public to explain their conduct. The fact that they continue to shirk their responsibility only highlights why this issue is so important for freedom. Let’s hope that the continuing efforts to keep police accountable will have the same result in Los Angeles as those efforts had in New Orleans.
H/T: Gizmodo
Nicholas West writes for ActivistPost.com. He also writes for Counter Markets agorist newsletter. Follow us at Twitter and Steemit.
Image credit: Phys.org
Cryptos Suddenly Crack As FundStrat Sees Bitcoin $36k By YE2019
Shortly after FundStrat"s Tom Lee presented his thesis for why mining will take Bitcoin to $36,000 by the end of 2019, the crypto space suddenly kneejerked lower on notable volume...
No obvious catalyst for the move for now...
This drop comes as CoinTelegraph reports of new research from Fundstrat Global Advisors places Bitcoin prices at $36,000 by the end of 2019, co-founder Tom Lee revealed Thursday, May 10.
Analysis of the relationship between Bitcoin mining costs and price by Fundstrat’s Quantamental Strategist Sam Doctor has led the market research firm to predict the cryptocurrency’s range will fall between $20,000 and $64,000 by 2019 year end.
image courtesy of CoinTelegraph
The calculations focused on Bitcoin Price to Mining Breakeven Cost Metric, known as P/BE, which Doctor says has “proven a reliable long-term support level.”
“We expect the mining economy to grow over the next several years, and project a BTC price of ~$36,000 by year end 2019 based on the historical average 1.8x P/BE multiple,” an executive summary of the findings uploaded to Twitter by cofounder Tom Lee reads.
CRYPTO: Our quant/data scientist @fundstratQuant publishing #bitcoin mining white paper. Crypto mining economics lead/explain $BTC price—suggests $39,000 per bitcoin by YE19. key takeaways below... pic.twitter.com/f5ZQ4py3jS
— Thomas Lee (@fundstrat) May 10, 2018
The price target is broadly in line with Lee’s own recent prediction of $25,000 by the end of 2018.
Remaining bullish on Bitcoin has characterized both Lee and Fundstrat in recent months, a previous survey in April revealing that 82% of institutional investors believed prices had already “bottomed out.”
The survey also contained a prediction question, with the highest number of respondents opting for a range of between $10,000 and $20,000 by the end of this year.
Five "Most Wanted" ISIS Leaders Captured, Trapped Using Smartphone App
Out of the blue, on Thursday morning a euphoric President Trump tweeted on Thursday that five of the "Most Wanted leaders of ISIS" have been captured.
Five Most Wanted leaders of ISIS just captured!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 10, 2018
Hours before, a security advisor to Iraq"s government said that Iraqi agents had detained a top aide to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, then used an app on his smartphone to lure four commanders from the terrorist organization into a trap - convincing the four Iraqis and one Syrian to cross the border from Syria to Iraq where they were captured by officials.
The aide, Ismail al-Eithawi (a.k.a. Abu Zaid al-Iraqi) was captured in Turkey by authorities and handed over to Iraqi counterparts, according to an account told to Reuters by Iraqi security advisor Hisham al-Hashimi. What followed was a three-month operation to track a group of senior Islamic State leaders hiding in Syria and Turkey.
Those arrested included Saddam al-Jammel, a Syrian who had been the head of the Islamic State territory around Deir al-Zour, and Abu Abdel al-Haq, an Iraqi who had been the head of internal security for the group. Two other Iraqis were also arrested, the officials said. -New York Times
Iraqi Intelligence announce they have captured 5 high ranking ISIS commanders in a daring mission which lured to across the border. One captured is Saddam Al-Jamal, originally from Al-Bukamal #Syria #ISIS #Iraq pic.twitter.com/T3bUq0Xku0
— Gareth Browne (@BrowneGareth) May 9, 2018
Al-Jamal AKA Abu Udai Al-Jamal was particularly prominent in his hometown. He is reported to have lead a massacre of more than 70 in 2014 near Al-Bukamal. (2)
— Gareth Browne (@BrowneGareth) May 9, 2018
Iraqi agents used the Telegram messaging app on Eithawi"s mobile phone to lure other Islamic State commanders to cross the border from Syria into Iraq, where they were captured. Those held include Saddam Jamal, a Syrian who served as the group"s governor of Syria"s eastern Euphrates region.
Hashimi described Eithawi and Jamal as the two most senior Islamic State figures ever to be captured alive. The capture of all five was announced on Iraqi state TV on Wednesday.
Hashimi said the operation was carried out in cooperation with U.S. forces, part of an American-led coalition fighting against Islamic State on both sides of the Iraqi-Syrian border. -Daily Mail
Following the capture of Eithawi, US and Iraqi intelligence agents worked to uncover bank accounts used by the terrorist organization, as well as secret communication codes they had been using, Hashimi said.
The other three men captured were ISIL field commanders: Syrian Mohamed al-Qadeer and two Iraqis, Omar al-Karbouli and Essam al-Zawbai, according to Hashimi - who said "The noose is tightening around him," referring to Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim al-Samarrai.
Baghdadi is believed to be in hiding in the Iraqi-Syrian border region after the loss of once-captured cities and towns of his self-proclaimed caliphate.
Iraq, meanwhile, is committed to eradicating Syrian-based militants, according to Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.
The Iraqi air force has carried out several air strikes since last year against Islamic State positions in Syrian territory.
Abadi declared final victory last December over the ultra-hardline group within Iraq. But the militants still pose a threat along the border with Syria and have continued to carry out ambushes, killings and bombings across Iraq.
Islamic State militants last month restated their loyalty to Baghdadi, in what is believed to be their first public pledge of allegiance to him since his self-proclaimed caliphate collapsed last year in both Syria and Iraq. -Daily Mail
Adding this to the three rescued hostages from North Korea, and it"s clear that the Trump administration is having a very good day.
Wow. I wonder if these are the guys Obama have back in exchange for Bergdahl? The count for the past 12 hours is pretty impressive. 3 captive brought home 5 isis leaders captured. Today is a good day. https://t.co/Xjo900RKGp
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) May 10, 2018
This is a remarkable story. The level of coordination and cooperation between the U.S., Iraq, and Turkey is also noteworthy. https://t.co/Gr6WHUclDU
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 10, 2018
✅ Set a summit to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula
✅ Secure the release of American hostages in North Korea + welcome them back home
✅ Capture the Top 5 most wanted members of ISIS
Pretty damn good week for the President @realDonaldTrump and his Administration.
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) May 10, 2018
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)