The "Big Four" banks are remaining tight-lipped about freezing customers" accounts over bitcoin purchase but angry account holders are crying foul.
Sunday, December 31, 2017
Major Banks Reportedly Just Began Freezing Accounts of Bitcoin Users
The "Big Four" banks are remaining tight-lipped about freezing customers" accounts over bitcoin purchase but angry account holders are crying foul.
Washington DC’s role behind the scenes in Hollywood goes deeper than you think: On television, we found more than 1,100 titles received Pentagon backing – 900 of them since 2005
The US government and Hollywood have always been close. Washington DC has long been a source of intriguing plots for filmmakers and LA has been a generous provider of glamour and glitz to the political class. But just how dependant are these two centres of American influence? Scrutiny of previously hidden documents reveals that the answer is: very. We can now show that the relationship between US national security and Hollywood is much deeper and more political than anyone has ever acknowledged.
In Africa, Ending A Despot Doesn"t End Despotism
In the tradition of dimming debate, the chattering class has reduced systemic corruption in South Africa and the near collapse in Zimbabwe, respectively, to the shenanigans of two men: Jacob Zuma and Robert Mugabe.
IRAN PROTEST CRISIS: Everything you need to know
Across the websites of the Associated Press, Reuters, and the U.S establishment"s own "Twitter" and "Facebook", news stories covering apparent violence in Iran and a radical change in the demands of protests have today sprang up, with a tone of extreme urgency. So what"s the problem? And why are Iranians protesting?
China Launches New Capital Controls: Puts $15,000 Annual Cap On Overseas ATM Withdrawals
Nothing scares the central planners, the political control freaks, like economic liberty. This is because their power is derived in large part from restricting the liberty of others.
Neocons Are Suddenly Posing As Woke Progressives To Gain Support
The invasion of Iraq was unforgivable. It remains unforgivable. It will always be unforgivable. Its architects should be tried in The Hague and imprisoned, and nobody who helped inflict that unfathomable evil upon our world should ever be employed anywhere they could do any more damage or mislead anyone else. All behaviors of the mainstream media, US intelligence agencies and US defense agencies should be viewed through the lens of those unforgivable lies and murders forevermore, and nobody should ever take them at their word about anything ever again.
Houston police on stay on high alert for New Years celebrations, as a man had guns and ammunition in downtown hotel room
Police in Houston say they arrested a man found with guns and ammunition in his hotel room early Sunday, as authorities across the country remain on high alert ahead of planned New Year"s Eve celebrations.
Weiner Laptop Doc: Assange Warrant Issued 2 Weeks After Swedish Election Leaks Warning
A confidential document found on Anthony Weiner’s laptop reveals that the United States Embassy in Stockholm, Sweden expressed concerns in 2010 that WikiLeaks would release classified US documents related to Sweden ahead of the September 19 Swedish election, tipping the vote towards the Pirate Party. The subject of the cable reads “Wikileaks: The Pirate Party’s White Horse Into Swe
Dropping Specific Proteins in Meat, Eggs, Soy and Dairy May Be One Key To Weight Loss
Forget counting calories New research suggests that a diet low in BCAAs may help weight loss and combat the metabolic problems that occur in diabetes and obesity.
Nestlé Caught Stealing Billions of Gallons of Water from California—No One Arrested
Nestlé has been taking more than 60 million gallons of water per year from the San Bernardino National Forest, according to California regulators, which amounts to billions of gallons of water stolen over the past 68 years — without any valid basis of right to the water.
A two-year investigation by the California State Water Resources Control Board revealed that Nestlé, which sells water under the Arrowhead brand, lacked the proper permits for the vast majority of the water taken.
The State Water Resources Control Board notified Nestlé last week that the investigation had concluded, and that the company doesn’t have proper rights to roughly three-quarters of the water it withdraws for bottling.
“Nestlé appears to be taking more water than they likely have the right to take,” David Rose, an attorney for the water board’s enforcement section, told KPCC.
The investigation showed that Nestlé extracted roughly 62.6 million gallons of water from the San Bernardino spring each year on average from 1947 to 2015, but that the company only had the right to siphon some 8.5 million gallons yearly.
Essentially, Nestlé has been stealing nearly 55 million gallons of water each year from California for nearly 70 years.
Of course when a corporation does something illicit, like stealing billions of gallons of water over the course of 68 years in an extremely drought-stricken state, no one is held responsible – no one is arrested – and regulators simply recommend that they apply for a new permit. They were simply told that they must conform to California water diversion regulations while providing a timetable for the company to implement required actions.
Conversely, if an individual, without the cover of being a corporate entity, would engage in similar actions, they would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law – and would almost certainly be sentenced to jail or prison time.
According to a report from NPR:
Water from the headwaters of Strawberry Creek in the San Bernardino National Forest has been bottled since the late 1800s — and Nestle had told California regulators that the claim to the water by the original owner of the Arrowhead Springs Hotel had extended through the years to the Swiss multinational.
Water Board officials did not agree, saying that while the hotel’s use was riparian — taking place at the water’s origin — Nestle couldn’t convert that to an “appropriative use.”
California’s State Water Board recently sent Nestle a letter summarizing its report. As for what the company must do now, the board issued a string of recommendations, giving Nestle 60 days to submit a compliance plan and 90 days to submit an investigation and monitoring plan.
The investigation into Nestlé’s water use practices in the San Bernardino National Forest began with a 2015 report in the Desert Sun newspaper.
The stunning report noted that the international mega-company lacked the requisite water rights to the water it was collecting and selling, and also called into question the environmental impact of such large-scale water diversion.
“They’re taking way too much water. That water’s hugely important,” said Steve Loe, a biologist who retired from the Forest Service in 2007, told the Desert Sun. “Without water, you don’t have wildlife, you don’t have vegetation.”
“When you take water from the springs that are the source of those waters, you dry up these canyons,” Loe said. “And they’re the most important habitats that we have.”
Nestlé claims to monitor the spring sites to ensure they don’t have a detrimental environmental impact on the surrounding habitat, and the Water Board’s report was not conclusive as to those points.
However, Nestlé was not able to satisfactorily clarify for State Water Board investigators a valid basis of right for the massive water diversion seen in the San Bernardino National Forest.
“While Nestlé may be able to claim a valid basis of right to some water in Strawberry Canyon,” the Water Board noted in the report, “a significant portion of the water currently diverted by Nestlé appears to be diverted without a valid basis of right.”
In a letter to the company, the water board told Nestlé to cut back on its water withdrawals unless it can prove it actually does have the right to use that water, or to additional groundwater.
Nestlé reportedly said it was too soon to say what impact, if any, the letter would have on Arrowhead bottled water. A Nestlé spokeswoman said she was pleased that the report reaffirms Nestlé holds valid rights to “a significant amount’ of water,” according to KPCC.
“We will continue to operate lawfully according to these existing rights and will comply fully with California law,” the Nestlé spokeswoman added in a statement to KPCC.
The U.S. Forest Service was sued by environmental and public interest groups in 2015 who alleged that Nestlé was operating its Strawberry Canyon pipeline on a permit that expired in 1988.
Subsequently, the court ruled that Nestlé could continue to withdraw water while the application for a permit renewal was pending.
The board left open the possibility that Nestlé could make a valid claim to extract more water from the forest land if the evidence warranted.
And there you have it.
Mega-corporations are so far above the law that even when they intentionally fleece the public, none of the decision makers are held accountable for the illicit conduct.
How does it make sense that a corporation can take billions of gallons of water from public lands illicitly and sell it back to the public for profit – and not a single person is held accountable? Coincidentally, in many places in the U.S. the public risks being arrested and locked in a cage for an act as simple as possessing a medicinal plant containing THC. And we still call this place the land of the free.
Where two creeks meet in the San Bernardino National Forest, one is flowing and the other is just a trickle.
Jay Syrmopoulos is a geopolitical analyst, freethinker, and ardent opponent of authoritarianism. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Denver pursuing a masters in Global Affairs and holds a BA in International Relations. Jay’s writing has been featured on both mainstream and independent media – and has been viewed tens of millions of times. You can follow him on Twitter @SirMetropolis and on Facebook at SirMetropolis. This article first appeared at The Free Thought Project.
Also Read: Nestlé CEO Denies That Water is an Essential Human Right
How Facebook will infiltrate national elections and rule the world in less than 10 years — unless…
How Facebook will infiltrate national elections and rule the world in less than 10 years — unless we stop it. What do NATO, private military contractors, giant arms manufacturers, wine merchants, the NSA, Trump, British property tycoons, Russian oligarchs, and Big Oil have in common? The world’s largest social network
KrisAnne Hall on Federal Prosecutors Seeking a New Trial
From KrisAnne Hall on facebook 12-31-2017
Federal prosecutors are seeking a new trial against #BundyRanch?!?! Are you freaking kidding me?
Prosecutors are telling the judge all the misconduct that caused the mistrial was “inadvertant.” So lets see…
1. The Bureau of Land Management Law Enforcement “kill list” against American citizens… oops we didn’t mean to, sorry.
2. Hiding evidence that the BLM created false evidence… oops it was an accident.
3. Prosecutors having in their possession physical evidence that directly exonerates the defendants & failing to disclose that evidence… just another inadvertant mistake.
4. Prosecutors lying and refusing to comply with the proper rules of Discovery…. yep, you guessed it… we goofed!
Chief DOJ prosecutor Steve Myre said, “The government takes its discovery obligations seriously,” Myhre wrote. “The government seeks justice on the merits of a case, not through dodging discovery rules and technicalities, or by obscuring violations if and when they may occur.”
This is NOT justice, this is negligence and prosecutorial misconduct!
As a former prosecutor, I can tell you the actions of Myre and these federal prosecutors are unforgivable.
Hey #Myre… YOU are a complete disgrace and evidence of the putrefaction of American Due Process. Sincerely, KrisAnne Hall, JD.
Seriously America, if #Sessions does not put an end to this, he needs to be #Impeached!!!
If #Sessions will not stop this madness then #Trump must get Sessions under control and stop it himself!!
If this was not such a miscarriage of justice against these Americans, I would almost be in favor of another trial. At this point, I would ABSOLUTELY LOVE to see these federal prosecutors, the entire DOJ, & BLM become utterly humiliated when all the hidden evidence comes before a jury and the American people.
Then, if Queen Judge #Navarro pulls her little royal judicial tantrums in the face of all of the hidden evidence of BLM misconduct, the light of true corruption would expose more than her. The true rotten to the core nature of the DOJ, #Sessions, Congress, the entire Judiciary, and every executive agency would be indisputably exposed.
America #ThisIsTheSwamp! Congress is not the swamp, they are the cypress trees. Rs & Ds are not the swamp, they are the palmettos. The real swamp exists only because of the absolute and extreme disease of corruption that has consumed every federal agency from top to bottom. It is the federal executive agencies that must be drained…completely…or nothing will ever change.
KrisAnne Hall, JD
www.LibertyFirstUniversity.com
Article: http://www.oregonlive.com/…/nevada_prosecutors_seek_new_tr.…
If you believe in the mission of Oath Keepers, to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, please make a donation to support our work.
You can donate HERE.
The post KrisAnne Hall on Federal Prosecutors Seeking a New Trial appeared first on Oath Keepers.
Top Ten Global Weather/Climate Events of 2017
A Year of Landfalls (Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria) and Firestorms (California)
December 29, 2017
In 2017, the atmosphere seemed to have it in for the United States. Globally, the lion’s share of destruction from each of the world’s four costliest weather-related disasters occurred within U.S. states and territories, and each one involved either hurricanes or wildfires. Through September, NOAA tallied 15 U.S weather disasters in 2017 with a cost of at least $1 billion, and the December wildfires in Southern California may well add another billion-dollar disaster to the total. This would tie 2017 with 2011 for the most billion-dollar weather disasters in any year in U.S. history.
Granted, the U.S. is a meteorological crossroads that’s renowned for getting virtually every type of meteorological mayhem, but it’s unusual for the nation to have such a lopsided share of the global toll from a year’s worth of weather/climate disasters. One preliminary damage assessment put the U.S. damage from Maria, Harvey, and Irma at $207 billion, with another $25 billion in non-U.S. damage. Thus, our picks below for the planet’s highest-impact weather and climate events of 2017 are very U.S.-centric.
Three events tied for #1 in 2017: Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria
The most hellacious series of Atlantic hurricanes since 2005 produced catastrophic damage in a number of Caribbean nations as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. mainland. One reason: at the peak of hurricane season, sea-surface temperatures were at near-record warm levels across most of the tropical Atlantic. Moreover, upper-level winds (with an assist from La Niña) were unusually supportive for allowing hurricanes to thrive (bringing low wind shear), and steering currents favored trajectories toward land, with a grand total of 23 landfalls for the year. The period from late August to early October saw a nearly unbroken string of Atlantic hurricanes in progress, and September produced the largest amount of accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) of any month on record.
Figure 1. First-light GOES-16 image of Hurricane Maria taken at 7:15 am EDT September 20, 2017, just after the hurricane had made landfall in Puerto Rico as a top-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds. Maria’s eye was obscured by clouds due to interactions with land. Image credit: NOAA/RAMMB.
1. Hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria hit the island of Dominica in the Caribbean as a Category 5 hurricane with 160 mph winds, then powered through the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico as a top-end Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, causing catastrophic damage and at least 47 deaths outside of Puerto Rico. The death toll from Maria in Puerto Rico is likely to top 1,000 when indirect deaths that occurred in the weeks and months after Maria’s passage are fully taken into account. This would make Maria only the second hurricane since 1928, along with Katrina of 2005, to have caused at least 1,000 deaths in the U.S. or its territories. Total damage across the Caribbean from Maria has not yet been fully tallied, but some estimates are in excess of $100 billion (insured plus uninsured damage), which would make Maria more costly than any hurricane except Hurricane Katrina ($161 billion in damage in 2005). Overall, it appears that Maria will be the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since 2005’s Stan, which took more than 1,500 lives in Guatemala and another 150+ in neighboring countries.
Maria also became a political flash point, as it highlighted Puerto Rico’s fragile infrastructure and the lack of urgency one might see in recovery efforts for a similar disaster in a U.S. state versus a territory. More than a million residents still lacked power as of late December. According to New York Times reporter Frances Robles, the U.S. Corps of Engineers estimates that power will not be fully restored to rural parts of Puerto Rico until the end of May—a full eight months after Maria.
Figure 2. Storm-total rainfall from Hurricane Harvey, August 24 – 31, 2017. Harvey dumped over 40” (yellow colors) in Houston, with isolated amounts in excess of 50” (pink colors) south of Houston and northwest of Port Arthur. Image credit: NOAA.
Tied for #1: Hurricane Harvey
Hurricane Harvey was spectacular in terms of rainfall, as a result of its slow movement near the southeast Texas coast following landfall at Category 4 strength just north of Corpus Christi. At least 40” of rain fell across a gigantic area from Houston to Port Arthur—larger than the entire state of Delaware. The storm total of 60.58” at Nederland, TX, was the heaviest single amount ever recorded from a tropical cyclone or its remnants in the U.S. One analysis found that Houston could expect Harvey-like rains only about once every 2000 years—but that climate change is already making such rains far more likely.
Harvey caused at least 84 direct and indirect deaths, primarily from massive flooding across southeast Texas, including many places outside the 100-year flood plain. The total cost of Harvey (including insured and noninsured losses) was estimated by insurance broker Aon Benfield at $90 billion. Among U.S. hurricanes, this comes in behind only the $161 billion in total damage from 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, as estimated by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information. Hurricane Maria may exceed Harvey’s damage once the final numbers are in, though.
Figure 3. Recently planted palm trees lie across a road in Miami Beach, FL, on Sunday, September 10, 2017, due to Hurricane Irma’s landfall. Image credit: Wilfredo Lee/AP.
Also tied for #1: Hurricane Irma
Irma was neither the deadliest or most destructive Atlantic hurricane of 2017—but in most other years, it would have been an epic disaster all its own. Irma churned across or near several Caribbean islands as a Category 5 storm packing 185 mph winds, the strongest winds of any tropical cyclone on Earth this year. Irma made destructive landfalls in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Martin, Anguilla, Turks and Caicos, The Bahamas, and Cuba, as well as the United States. Before it moved up the west coast of Florida, Irma angled just far enough leftward to rake the north coast of Cuba, a shift that resulted in 10 deaths and $2.1 billion in damage there. Had Irma not been disrupted by its encounter with Cuba, it might have produced far greater destruction in Florida. All told, Irma took 124 lives and wreaked an estimated $50 billion in total damage along its path, according to Aon Benfield.
Figure 4. Christmas decorations illuminate a house in Carpinteria, Calif., as the growing Thomas Fire advances toward Santa Barbara County seaside communities on December 10, 2017. Image credit: David McNew/Getty Images.
4. California wildfires (October-December)
After an unusually slow start to the U.S. fire season caused by a wet winter, the fire season of 2017 put on an intense blitz of the Western U.S., burning 9.6 million acres–the third highest total since accurate records began in 1960, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The last three months of the year brought two devastating clusters of wildfire to California. The stage for disaster was set by a near-record wet winter in 2016–17, which led to a bumper crop of fire-vulnerable shrubs and grasses. California’s hottest summer on record eventually left the fresh vegetation tinder-dry, and cool-season rains were unusually slow to return to the state.
The first of the year’s two firestorms burst into being on the night of October 8-9, when a fierce round of hot, dry winds gusting to more than 60 mph swept through the North Bay Hills of California. The strong winds tossed embers well ahead of the fire line, leading to extremely rapid fire spread. Many residents had only a few scant minutes to evacuate. The Tubbs Fire pushed from the urban/wildland interface well into the city of Santa Rosa, scorching more than 36,000 acres and consuming 5,643 structures in all—almost twice the structural toll of any other fire in Cal Fire records. At least 44 people died as a direct result of the October fires, the largest U.S. death toll from a wildfire event in nearly 100 years.
In December, persistent offshore Santa Ana winds led to the worst late-season fires in California history across the coastal hills from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The biggest and most destructive was the Thomas Fire in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The Thomas Fire became the largest in reliable state history on December 22 when its coverage reached 273,400 acres, topping 2003’s Cedar Fire (273,246 acres). The Thomas Fire consumed at least 1,063 structures, with hundreds of other buildings destroyed in five other major wildfires across the region. The Santa Ana winds arrived during a normal climatological peak, but their effects were intensified by the extensive dried-out vegetation and by the near-record warm, dry conditions that prevailed across Southern California throughout the autumn and into December.
Read more at wunderground.com
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Multiple Officers Shot At Apartment Complex Near Denver; SWAT Team Responding
Multiple Officers Shot At Apartment Complex Near Denver; SWAT Team Responding
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:11
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:11
Iran"s Revolutionary Guards Vow To Crush Dissent As Protests Extend Into Fourth Day
Iran"s Revolutionary Guards Vow To Crush Dissent As Protests Extend Into Fourth Day
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:44
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:44
Roseanne Barr Threatens To Retire After Jousting With Liberals Online
Roseanne Barr Threatens To Retire After Jousting With Liberals Online
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:00
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 11:00
Weiner Laptop Doc: Assange Warrant Issued 2 Weeks After Swedish Election Leaks Warning
Weiner Laptop Doc: Assange Warrant Issued 2 Weeks After Swedish Election Leaks Warning
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 09:48
Tyler Durden
Sun, 12/31/2017 - 09:48
Cop Caught on Video in Disturbing Fit of Road Rage Trying to Kill Innocent Man
A former deputy was arrested this week after surveillance footage showed him trap an innocent man in a gas station ben severely beat him in a fit of road rage.
BREAKING: Multiple “Officers Down” in Colorado Shooting, Shooter Still At Large
Multiple officers are reportedly "down" after a shooting occurred at an apartment complex outside of Denver, suspect is still at large.
Top 5 Stories Buried or Deliberately Ignored by Mainstream Media In 2017
From the government"s disregard for civil liberties, to new research showing the power of cannabis, here are the stories the mainstream media missed in 2017
Current UFO disclosures and the incredible edible New York Times
Current UFO disclosures and the NY Times
By Jon Rappoport
The first thing to understand is that the New York Times broke the latest UFO story.
The story about: a secret Pentagon UFO research group; a US fighter jet that encountered a UFO off the coast of San Diego; and the recovery of “UFO metals.”
The Times broke the story, and then it quickly went global.
On the subject of UFOs, that never happens.
But it did.
Furthermore, the Times expressed no doubts about the information it was disclosing. There wasn’t the usual “he said, he said” treatment.
No detractors and harsh critics were quoted. This was a straight-from-the-Pentagon to the Times pipeline.
The Times story had all the earmarks of a government gift, not a leak.
This, too, never happens.
But it did.
The conclusion: the Pentagon wanted this story to come to light. Someone high up in the Pentagon, or someone outside the Pentagon, with major clout, gave the green light to the Times. He assured the Times the story was real. Perhaps he even gave an “order” to release the information.
As discussion and vetting of the UFO story occurred at the Times, before they went to print, the overriding and decisive factor was: “somebody big wants this to move forward.” Case closed.
But we shouldn’t assume the motive for disclosure was, at the top, generous and benign and innocent. Because we’re talking about the Pentagon and the CIA, the people who always have a concealed agenda.
If they give the public a few bread crumbs, or even a steak, there is a 15-course meal behind that, and the meal is never served.
Long-time UFO researcher, Grant Cameron, has pointed out that the American strategy for hiding secrets (for decades) has been: partial disclosure. Periodically, now and then—“Here’s a small piece. Chew on it.”
This is the US government approach.
Except—the recent Pentagon offerings haven’t been leaked via some small-press book published in a print shop—they’ve been shot out of information-guns directly to the most prestigious mainstream news outlet in the world: the New York Times.
That’s different. Very different.
And just now, the Times has published two more UFO articles. The first, by senior reporter Dan Barry, is headlined: “Dad Believed in UFOs. Turns Out He Wasn’t Alone.” Barry’s father was a veteran UFO watcher. He died before the Pentagon finally admitted UFOs are real. That’s the hook of the article. It’s a human interest piece. And it’s overwhelmingly positive re UFOs. Again, you don’t see this sort of thing from the Times—not ever—but there it is.
“UFOs: Is This All There Is?” is the second Times piece, by Dennis Overbye. It’s a soft back and forth: something is happening in the sky but we don’t know what it is. No harsh naysaying. No nastiness.
Both of these pieces lend support to the original Times blockbuster about the secret Pentagon UFO program.
All this could very well mean that what is being hidden, now, is much larger than what has been hidden in the past. For example, new technological discoveries and advances have been made in the areas of propulsion systems and energy production, beside which the old discoveries pale by comparison.
In that case, the latest partial disclosures needed to be stronger, in terms of their impact. Impact as diversion from the deeper truth.
And the NY Times would carry the ball.
Who was the paper’s main source for the breaking UFO disclosure? Luis Elizondo, the man who headed up the Pentagon UFO program, until he resigned. Elizondo is now part of rock musician Tom Delonge’s team at his newly formed To the Stars Academy. Elizondo’s new association hardly qualifies as a “good source” for an outlet like the Times.
Further, anyone who reads Elizondo’s bio at the Academy website would have reason to pause for thought:
“Luis Elizondo is a career intelligence officer whose experience includes working with the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense, the National Counterintelligence Executive, and the Director of National Intelligence. As a former Special Agent In-Charge, Luis conducted and supervised highly sensitive espionage and terrorism investigations around the world. As an intelligence Case Officer, he ran clandestine source operations throughout Latin America and the Middle East.”
Excuse me? The number one mainstream news operation on the planet accepts what Elizondo is saying at face value? On the verboten subject of UFOs? When everyone knows career intelligence officers are trained to lie at the drop of a hat?
The Times has suddenly become a “UFO site?”
Having received Elizondo’s assertions, the Times would have gone to its long-time sources at the Pentagon, and the Word would have come back: this is rock solid fact. Which, again, tells you the Pentagon wanted this story to be published. Strongly wanted.
If Donald Trump holds a water bottle in two hands and puckers his lips as he takes a sip, the Times would wonder aloud whether he was suffering from Alzheimer’s. But all of a sudden, on the topic of UFOs, the story the Times is being fed is honest and accurate, and there is no need to consult the usual experts who provide “balanced” criticism and “negative reactions.”
One conclusion: the Times is prepared to publish more UFO stories. Quotes from other military/intelligence sources. Unless the blowback from rival news outlets is too severe.
Another inference: the Times already has other videos of UFOs and other “irrefutable” interviews in the can.
Whatever they eventually publish, no matter how shocking, it will be a very, very small fragment of what the government (and those who control the government) is hiding.
If, five years ago, you polled the most competent and knowledgeable independent UFO researchers, and asked them whether they thought the New York Times would ever publish a major positive UFO story, who among them would have predicted what we are seeing now?
Finally, this could now happen: someone at the Times, a senior editor, or even the publisher, goes to the Pentagon and says, “Look, we’re begging off. We’ve done our job. We did what you told us to do. But now, other news operations are going to have to carry the freight. We can’t afford to incur a stain on our reputation. We broke the barrier. You’ll have to find other people to move your story forward…”
But the Times will forever be remembered as the first—they took their marching orders and delivered. They fronted for, and sold, a limited hangout, against all odds.
Filed under: Uncategorized
"Multiple deputies down" in active shooter situation near Denver, sheriff"s office says
A Colorado sheriff"s office said "multiple deputies are down" in an active shooter situation Sunday morning at an apartment complex near Denver.
Vandals destroy beehives in Iowa, kill nearly half a million bees
Vandals have destroyed dozens of beehives in Iowa, killing at least 500,000 bees, the honey business owners said. All of their hives were knocked over and the bees died as they were unable to survive in the freezing temperatures.
Iran - Early U.S. Support For Rioters Hints At A Larger Plan
In Iran - Regime Change Agents Hijack Economic Protests we looked at the developing U.S.-Israeli operation to instigate a revolt in Iran. What follows are a few more background points and a view on the developments since. A color revolution or revolt in Iran have only little chances of success. But even as the fail they can be used as pretext for additional sanctions and other anti-Iranian measures. The current incidents are thus only one part of a much larger plan.
US State Department Hints At Iran Overthrow: Are We Witnessing The Early Stages Of Regime Change?
The US State Department has issued a formal condemnation of the Iranian government following two days of economic protests centering in a handful of cities, calling the regime "a rogue state whose chief exports are violence, bloodshed, and chaos" while announcing support for protesters. It fits a familiar script which seems to roll out when anyone protests for any reason in a country considered an enemy of the United States (whether over economic grievances or full on calling for government overthrow).
Trump cuts off $255 million in military aid to Pakistan
The Trump White House has announced that it will not be sending military aid totaling $255 million to Pakistan. The military aid was denied to the Pakistan government in response to what the Trump administration calls ‘ineffective action against terrorists and militants on its soil.’
Australian Banks Reportedly Freeze Accounts of Bitcoin Users
At some point, the fiat outflows will cause liquidity problems. That’s my guess as to why they fear cryptos so much.
The DHS has illegally stuffed America"s airports full of $1B worth shitty, malfing facial-recognition tech
More than a dozen major US airports are now covered in facial-recognition cameras, installed by the DHS to scan people departing on international flights without the legally mandated federal review process. The cameras suck, too: "the systems erroneously reject as many as 1 in 25 travelers using valid credentials." At that rate, 1,632 people flying out of JFK alone every day would be falsely flagged as potential criminals and subjected to additional screening.
St. Pete bomber has mental illness record, blames bad ‘personal growth’ course – investigators
The suspect in Wednesday’s bombing in St. Petersburg has a record of mental illness, investigators say. He was motivated by a bad experience he had with a “personal growth” training course.
Just ten farms could supply all of America with marijuana
When Washington State legalized recreational marijuana three years ago, it created a licensing regime that was supposed to protect and encourage small growers, but the data shows that marijuana growing has consolidated into a few large suppliers, even as the price per gram has fallen -- and that the industry"s embrace of exotic derivatives like edibles and concentrates is capital-intensive and inaccessible to small, independent providers.
Nestlé Caught Stealing Billions of Gallons of Water from California—No One Arrested
Nestlé has stolen billions of gallons of water from drought-stricken California without a valid basis of right, according to the California State Water Board.
In 2017, Nearly 100 Times More Americans Were Killed by Police Than Terrorists
While 2017 was one of the safest years for police on record, police killings in the United States have become an epidemic with no signs of slowing down.
What The Hell Is Happening In Iran?
A familiar sight is taking place across Iran tonight and it has been for the last three days. Protests are taking place in numerous cities citing grievances and demanding that the Ayatollah and Iranian President step down. For a few days, the protests remained non-violent but now violence has indeed flared up as protesters have laid waste to a number of government properties and those belonging to “pro-government militias.”
Trump tweets more support for Iran’s protesters while Iran blocks Instagram and Telegram
President Donald Trump is again cheering on the protesters in Iran, saying: “The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism.” While Iran state TV is reporting that authorities have blocked Instagram and the messaging app Telegram.
North Korea: South seizes second ship in oil supply row
South Korean authorities have seized a second ship suspected of supplying oil to North Korea in violation of international sanctions, officials say.
Iran warns protesters will "pay the price" as unrest turns deadly
Iran warned on Sunday that protesters will "pay the price" after a third night of unrest saw mass demonstrations across the country, two people killed and dozens arrested.
Internet and phone services cut in DRC ahead of anti-government protests
Democratic Republic of Congo’s government on Saturday ordered telecommunications providers to cut internet and SMS services across the country ahead of planned anti-government demonstrations.
Baltimore Residents Blame Record-High Murder Rate On Lower Police Presence
For the third year in a row, Baltimore, Md., has had more than 300 murders, reaching a new record of murders per number of residents in 2017.
A Bedtime Story (Or Explaining Our Money System To A 14-Month Old)
A Bedtime Story (Or Explaining Our Money System To A 14-Month Old)
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 21:05
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 21:05
Despite Bluster Of The Left, Mexican Deportations Have Actually Plunged Under Trump
Despite Bluster Of The Left, Mexican Deportations Have Actually Plunged Under Trump
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 21:40
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 21:40
Jihadist Group Blows Up Oil Pipeline In Iran, In Midst Of Protests
Jihadist Group Blows Up Oil Pipeline In Iran, In Midst Of Protests
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 19:22
Tyler Durden
Sat, 12/30/2017 - 19:22
How the American Coalition SCROOGED the World
In September 2015 Russian air forces began hammering ISIS in Syria at the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Two years later the world’s most dreaded terror has been all but eradicated. This year the world has received one of the best Christmas presents ever. Unfortunately, Ebenezer Scrooge either wants to take credit for the gift, or steal the gift back. Here’s the short story of how the world is being SCROOGED this holiday season.
On September 24th I framed on my personal blog how Israel and the US coalition were likely flying air cover for ISIL (ISIS) over Kurdistan and eastern Syria. In an earlier report me and my colleague Holger Eekhof had suggested the Russian Ministry of Defense should televise via YouTube missions against jihadists in Syria in order to prove the coalition non-mission. On September 30th RT began rebroadcasting Russian Ministry of Defense YouTube broadcasts of the destruction of ISIL.
The ministry’s uploads were a devastating blow to the Obama White House on social media channels, but of course the mainstream media under-played the significance. Initially, The New York Times and others tried to cover for the White House and the US led coalition by diffusion. A story September 30th claimed Russia’s target was not ISIL, but “taking on everybody fighting Assad” instead. Veteran reporters Helene Cooper, Michael R. Gordon, and Neil MacFARQUHAR cited the now notorious liar, Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter who said:
“By supporting Assad and seemingly taking on everybody fighting Assad Russia is taking on the whole rest of the country that’s fighting Assad. That’s why the Russian position is doomed to fail.”
As we can see now, MacFARQUHAR and his associates, the former Secretary of Defense, and The New York Times by association, were proven to be idiots and/or liars when Vladimir Putin’s forces eradicated ISIL. The fact the NYTs and others have not printed 10,000 retractions since Russia’s air forces were pulled back the other day tells me there’s no going back for western journalism. After Russia exposed the US coalition and Israel’s proxy war to daylight, the civilian casualty PR program began. In that one NYTs piece there’s all the evidence of State Department-media collusion anybody will ever need. Fast forwarding to today we find Eric Schmitt re-creating the fantasy that the coalition has anything whatsoever to do with defeating the remains of ISIL in eastern Syria. The world’s most trusted (formerly) news source inserts a picture of Defense James Mattis and Central Command Commander Gen. Joseph Votel underneath the catchy title: “The Hunt for ISIS Pivots to Remaining Pockets in Syria.”
The overall effect for this analyst is like watching a formerly credible source attempt to rework history. MacFARQUHAR and all the others should either reframe their arguments, print retractions, or risk being totally ignored and shamed. What the reporters do manage to reveal for us is the fact the west considers Russia, Syria, and Iran “rivals” – the riveting lie the American public is being sold is revealed in no uncertain terms in Schmitt’s piece:
“The three-year American campaign has largely achieved its goal of reclaiming territory in Syria and Iraq, and the Islamic State’s religious state, or caliphate, appears all but gone.”
And within the New York Times media campaign to assist the coalition there’s a preview of the US/Israeli proxy war against Assad. General Joseph L. Votel, who’s head of United States Central Command, foretells of the new Pentagon strategy to create an anti-Assad guerilla force. Speaking of the US backed jihadists, Donald Trump’s top general in the region said recently:
“As they lose the caliphate’s physical terrain, they’ll adapt guerrilla tactics. ISIS has been beat up pretty bad. But this is a different kind of organization so we don’t know what they might try to add. They’ve been very adaptive.”
Helping the anti-Assad rebels make this metamorphosis is what is known as an “option” to the new breed of hegemony warrior. And judging from the mainstream’s reluctance to broadcast or print the truth of Russia having obliterated the jihadists, we can only assume the worst for Syria and the region.
To sum up, my dismay over the misinformation and outright lies from western media matches that of most experts involved. The unwitting public is being sold the most pretentious fallacy ever unleashed on US citizens. The people are expected to totally ignore the iron clad obvious, that America has created this mess in the Middle East. We are expected to believe that for over a year American Reaper drones, U-2 and other spy planes, Air Force and Navy fighters and bombers, satellite intelligence and intelligence from on the ground utterly failed to make a dent in ISIL (Daesh or whatever) until Putin’s forces began hammering ISIL oil trucks on YouTube. And now that the Syrians, Iranians, and Russians have destroyed Al Qaeda and ISIL, the US led Coalition wants to take credit. What’s more amazing for me is the fact there is no hiding the truth of these matters!
Finally, the strategy of removing Syria’s Assad from power remains. Western media from Voice of America to ABC report this week on US backed “rebels” refusing to attend a Russia hosted peace talk in Sochi, in preference to a U.N.-led Geneva process that would almost certainly lead to some sort of partitioning of Syria, or a kangaroo court to start some election fiasco. And at the same moment Syrian refugees begin the journey home, Donald Trump’s Middle East strategy is to reinforce Israel’s bid to reboot the Middle East. A paragraph from Trump’s new National Security Strategy (pg. 49) tells the world these conflicts will only get worse for the near future:
“For generations the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians has been understood as the prime irritant preventing peace and prosperity in the region. Today, the threats from radical jihadist terrorist organizations and the threat from Iran are creating the realization that Israel is not the cause of the region’s problems.”
We have the “strategy” and the future laid out for us. From UN Ambassador Nicky Haley’s “taking names” idiocy over the Jerusalem capital issue, to the steadfast lying from The New York Times and other western media – there’s not a glimmer of hope for peace on the planet anytime soon. And as an America, we soon have to come to terms with the reality of all this. That is, the apathy and ignorance of the American people, and of the people of all “coalition” nations, is where the ultimate blame rests. If you still read The New York Times or watch CNN at all, you may be a big part of the problem. The truth of world chaos may be – we SCROOGED ourselves.
Phil Butler, is a policy investigator and analyst, a political scientist and expert on Eastern Europe, he’s an author of the recent bestseller “Putin’s Praetorians” and other books. He writes exclusively for the online magazine “New Eastern Outlook.”
Weinstein Effect: 50 Powerful Men Who Fell in 2017 Over Sexual Misconduct Allegations
(ANTIMEDIA) — In October, famous Hollywood producer, Harvey Weinstein, was fired from his position at the Weinstein Company after multiple women accused him of sexual assault. Additional shocking claims about the disgraced media mogul surfaced, including rape, as well as Salma Hayek’s recounting of the time Weinstein threatened her life and the revelation that Weinstein employed spies, including ex-Mossad agents, to silence his victims.
For as long as most people can remember, sexual harassment and sexual assault have been extremely prevalent, often swept under the rug and, to some extent, expected in the workplace. But the status quo is rapidly changing as high-profile men accused of harassment and rape are being fired or forced to resign and/or suffer major repercussions in rapid succession. Many of these men earned their living in the entertainment and news media industries. Their names, occupations, and the accusations against them are included below in a list adapted from the New York Times.
Morgan Spurlock, documentary filmmaker, made public previous accusations of sexual harassment and rape.
Mario Batali, chef, restaurant owner and co-host of ABC’s “The Chew,” was accused of sexual misconduct.
Ryan Lizza, writer for The New Yorker and political analyst for CNN, was accused of improper sexual conduct.
Alex Kozinski, federal appeals court judge, was accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate comments..
Trent Franks, a U.S. representative for Arizona, allegedly asked co-workers to be a surrogate to bear his child.
Lorin Stein, editor of the Paris Review, was accused of inappropriate behavior, including unwanted touching.
Danny Masterson, actor, was accused of rape.
Matt Dababneh, a California state assemblyman, was accused of sexual harassing a lobbyist.
Ruben Kihuen, a U.S. representative for Nevada, was accused of making unwanted sexual propositions.
Israel Horovitz, playwright and artistic director of the Gloucester Stage theater, was accused of sexual abuse, including abuse of minors.
Justin Huff, a broadway casting director, was accused of sexual misconduct.
Garrison Keillor, the creator and former host of “A Prairie Home Companion,” was accused of inappropriate behavior with a coworker.
Matt Lauer, co-host of Today, was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior.
Johnny Iuzzini, a chef and judge on ABC‘s the Great American Baking Show, was accused of sexually harassing four employees.
Charlie Rose, a famous television host, was accused of sexual harassment, including groping and lewd phone calls.
Glenn Thrush, a White House reporter for the New York Times, was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior.
John Conyers, a U.S. representative for Michigan, was accused of sexually harassing employees.
Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Records and other businesses, was accused of sexually assaulting two women and imposing violent sexual behavior, including rape.
Al Franken, a U.S. senator for Minnesota, was accused of sexual harassment.
David Sweeney, chief news editor at NPR, was accused of sexually harassing three female co-workers.
Stephen Bittel, Florida’s Democratic Party chairman, was accused of sexually inappropriate comments and behavior.
Wes Goodman, an Ohio state representative, was accused of inappropriate behavior.
Steve Jurvetson, a board member of Tesla and SpaceX, was accused of sexual misconduct.
Tony Cornish, a Minnesota state representative, was accused of sexual harassment.
Eddie Berganza, editor at DC Comics, was accused of sexual harassment.
Andrew Kreisberg, an executive producer for Arrow, Supergirl, and The Flash, was accused of sexually harassing more than a dozen people.
Louis C.K., comedian and producer, was accused of sexual misconduct, including exposing himself and masturbating in front of them, charges he admitted were true.
Dan Schoen, a Minnesota state senator, was accused of sexual harassment.
Benjamin Gennochio, executive director of the Armory Show art fair, was accused of sexual harassment, including physical contact.
David Guillod, co-chief executive of Primary Wave Entertainment agency, was accused of sexual assault.
Andy Dick, an actor, was accused of sexual harassment, including groping.
Michael Oreskes, the head of news at NPR and former New York Times editor, was accused of sexual harassment.
Hamilton Fish, president and publisher of the New Republic, accused of sexual misconduct by employees.
Kevin Spacey, a beloved A-list actor, was accused of sexual assault and misconduct with a minor.
Raul Bocanegra, a California state assemblyman, was accused of sexual harassment.
Mark Halperin, and NBC News and MSNBC contributor and co-author of Game Change, was accused of sexual harassment.
Rick Najera, director of CBS‘s Diversity Showcase, was accused of sexual harassment, including with performers.
Knight Landesman, publisher of Artforum, accused of sexual harassment.
Leon Wieseltier, former editor at the New Republic, was accused of sexual harassment.
Terry Richardson, fashion photographer, was accused of sexual harassment of models.
John Besh, chief executive of the Besh Restaurant Group, was accused of sexual harassment.
Lockhart Steele, editorial director of Vox Media,was accused of sexual harassment.
Robert Scoble, a tech blogger and co-founder of the Transformation Group, was accused of sexual assault.
Cliff Hite, an Ohio state senator, was accused of inappropriate behavior with a coworker.
Chris Savino, Creator of Nickelodeon’s The Loud House, was accused of sexual harassment.
Roy Price, head of Amazon Studios, was accused of sexual harassment of one woman.
Gavin Baker, a technology fund manager at Fidelity Investments, was accused of sexual harassment.
Ben Affleck, actor, was accused of unwanted physical contact.
Andy Signore, senior vice president of content for Defy Media, was accused of sexual assault and harassment.
Harvey Weinstein, producer, accused of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment.
***
Along with the accusations have come concerns about an emerging witch hunt that assumes alleged perpetrators are guilty before allegations are proven. Regardless, it appears the new trend of calling out potential predators is here to stay.
Following Fracking Ban, France Permanently Halts Oil and Gas Production
(ANTIMEDIA) — This week, France’s parliament passed a law banning the production of oil and gas in France and its territories. The move puts France at the forefront of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable resources. French President Emmanuel Macron also plans to stop the sale of diesel and petrol cars.
The ban appears to be symbolic in nature as France is 99% dependent on the import of oil and gas. By comparison, Saudi Arabia extracts around 815,000 tons of oil per day while France extracts that much in a year.
In the vote, which took place on Tuesday, the French National Assembly voted to ban all new licenses for oil, gas, and coal exploration. Only right-wing members of parliament opposed the law.
The timeframe on the ban is well down the road. It won’t go into full effect until 2040, but it may set a precedent for other countries to follow suit. French lawmaker Delphine Batho said she hoped the ban would be “contagious.” Macron has said he wants France to be a leader when it comes to major world economies leaving behind fossil fuels.
Macron shared his excitement for the ban on Twitter, saying, “Very proud that France has become the first country in the world today to ban any new oil exploration licenses with immediate effect and all oil extraction by 2040.” He also included the hashtag #MakeOurPlanetGreatAgain.
Very proud that France has become the first country in the world today to ban any new oil exploration licences with immediate effect and all oil extraction by 2040. #KeepItInTheGround #MakeOurPlanetGreatAgain
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) December 19, 2017
France banned the extraction of fossil fuels by fracking in 2011, and the new law bans fossil fuel extraction of any kind in both France and its overseas territories. It also makes the fossil fuel ban permanent.
Despite a new damning report out of the United States claiming that fracking is harmful to human health, U.S. President Donald Trump continues to embrace the technique.
‘Downward Spiral’: Why Subway Closed 909 US Locations in 2017
(ANTIMEDIA) — The sandwich franchise Subway has been hit with a consistent stream of negative press, and its recent business forecasts show the chain is in a “downward spiral,” as Business Insider described it.
In 2014, the chain was the target of public outcry when headlines focused on their bread, which used a type of rubber also found in yoga mats (though other fast food chains and food companies use this additive, Subway bore the brunt of the criticism and eventually phased out the ingredient). In 2015, its longtime spokesperson, Jared Fogle, was convicted of having sex with minors and possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. Last year, a CBC Marketplace investigation found its chicken was not entirely chicken and actually contained more soy than meat. Subway vehemently denied the story and launched a lawsuit over it, but CBC stood by its report.
The inexpensive sandwich shop, along with many other chains, has also drawn rebuke for its use of antibiotics in its meat, though it has made some improvements.
Amid the crises, the company has experienced flagging sales. As Business Insider noted:
“The sandwich chain’s US store count dropped by 909 locations in 2017, according to figures that a Subway representative provided to Business Insider. That represents more than 3% of the chain’s 2016 US stores.
“The chain has 25,835 shops open and operating in the US, according to the representative, compared with 26,744 at the end of 2016.”
The company’s 2016 sales dropped 1.7% and it closed 359 locations — the first time it closed more shops than it opened.
This year, 909 stores in the U.S. closed, and the number may increase in 2018. The New York Post reports that the chain’s traffic has fallen 25% in the last five years.
In response, the chain has leaned heavily on promotions, but franchise owners apparently disapprove. Just last week, they protested the company’s plan to bring back it’s $5 foot-long sandwiches. In a letter to the company signed by 400 franchise owners and obtained by the New York Post, they wrote:
“The national promotional focus over the past five years … has decimated [us] and left many franchisees unprofitable and even insolvent.”
Though Subway once enjoyed a reputation as a “healthy” option, with Jared Fogle touting his weight loss while promoting the brand, America’s changing preferences have sparked more competition that offers arguably cleaner options.
“Today, people are ever more educated on nutrition, food sourcing, and ethical holistic business models,” Sara Bamossy, the chief strategy officer at ad agency Pitch, told Business Insider. “To create (or to rekindle) loyalty and sales, it is not enough to label something as ‘natural’ and it’s not enough to be affordably priced.”
Nevertheless, according to a memo obtained by the New York Post, Subway plans to roll out a wrap option, as well as “all-natural turkey.” However, this may not be enough to sway consumers who have come to expect healthy options in the marketplace.
Further, Subway faces another battle in its effort to focus on promotions. McDonald’s, another massive chain that faced flagging sales, has recently made a comeback with its value menu and other promotions, creating still more competition for Subway.
There’s a New Talking ‘Robocat’ With AI That Will Take Care of Senior Citizens
(ANTIMEDIA) — Researchers at Brown’s Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative have partnered with Hasbro to develop a robotic pet cat with AI capabilities. The Brown-Hasbro project will use a $1 million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to upgrade Hasbro’s “Joy for All” robotic cat. The short-term goal is to make life easier for seniors, although the field of “smart home assistance” is already in a race to develop cutting-edge applications for future AI robotics.
The “Joy For All” robo-cat purrs, meows, licks its paws, and rolls over for a belly rub, creating a reasonable facsimile of a real-life cat. However, this kitty doesn’t need a litter box and doesn’t need to be fed. All it needs is input data so it can remind the client about doctor’s appointments, medicines that need to be taken, calls that need to be made, and aid in retrieving lost objects, along with other simple tasks. Researchers say such an assistant could help seniors stay in their homes longer without the need of a nursing home.
Bertram Malle, a professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences at Brown, says the cat has a limited array of functions but is affordable.
“It’s not going to iron and wash dishes,” says Malle. “Nobody expects them to have a conversation. Nobody expects them to move around and fetch a newspaper. They’re really good at providing comfort.”
The project falls under a larger umbrella of new services called the Affordable Robotic Intelligence for Elderly Support, or ARIES. Researchers say the cat acts as a companion and could help seniors who suffer from loneliness and dementia.
“Mom has a tendency to forget things,” says Jeanne Elliott of her 93-year-old mother, Mary Derr, who has dementia and uses the new robotic cat. “We don’t have any appointments today, take your meds, be careful when you walk, things like that, be safe, reassuring things, to have that available during the day would be awesome.”
Researchers say a talking cat may actually disturb people. However, the tide may be turning on public perceptions of AI and smart assistants. New robotic prototypes are being integrated into elderly care to help seniors stay socially connected and relieve loneliness. The Stevie robot was engineered to display human compassion and helps people get out of bed.
The Nao robot, developed by ZoraBots, was developed to help with depression and anxiety in both seniors and sick children. Boo Boo, for example, uses facial recognition and scans QR codes to recognize people and react to them based on pre-set instructions.
“They actually feel like he’s a friend of their age, and that’s how they describe it,” says Phil Parker, a healthcare executive who travels to different hospitals with Boo Boo. “They’ll say, ‘Boo Boo knows what it feels like to get his blood drawn.’”
Pepper, a social companion robot used in retail environments, has helped boost sales in brick-and-mortar establishments.
Such projects will likely be greatly affected by new technologies and innovations in the field of robotic home assistants and smart systems. The voice-controlled Echo system, powered by Amazon Alexa, is now in 100 million homes. LG’s rival assistant, the Hub, is intended to be more interactive. Its animated face turns to talk to you. As LG describes it:
“The Hub Robot is designed to respond to consumers using body language, such as nodding its head when answering simple questions, and is always aware of activities inside the home, such as when family members leave, come home and go to bed. And because the Hub Robot is able to distinguish different family members’ faces with its camera, it can be programmed with a different greeting for each family member.”
We’re still in a very early stage of robotic companions. Until full-blown artificial intelligence has a voice/conversational user interface (UI), these systems will still function more as machine butlers. Their capabilities are growing by the year, though, and now include advanced home security. Next-generation home security systems feature robotic monitoring, facial recognition software, motion detectors, sensors, and security cameras with artificial intelligence.
Who knows, in the near future our robotic cats may not only talk — they may be preferable to human caregivers.
Oil Giants Invest $180B in Plastics, Pushing Oceans Toward ‘Near-Permanent’ Pollution
“We could be locking in decades of expanded plastics production at precisely the time the world is realizing we should use far less of it.”
(COMMONDREAMS) — Scientists and environmental protection advocates are warning that a coming plastics boom could lead to a permanent state of pollution on the planet—and denouncing the fossil fuel industry for driving an increase in plastics production amid all that’s known about the material polluting the world’s oceans.
“We could be locking in decades of expanded plastics production at precisely the time the world is realizing we should use far less of it,” Carroll Muffett, president of the Center for International Environmental Law (CEIL), told the Guardian. The CEIL has compiled several reports about the plastics industry since September.
The American Chemistry Council, a trade organization, has acknowledged that fossil fuel companies including Exxon and Shell Chemical have poured more than $180 billion into the creation of plastics facilities that are expected to create a 40 percent rise in production of the material over the next decade.
The rise in shale gas exploration in recent years has caused the price of natural gas liquids, used to make plastic, to drop significantly, causing companies to begin more than 300 plastics production projects since 2010.
“Around 99 percent of the feedstock for plastics is fossil fuels, so we are looking at the same companies…that have helped create the climate crisis,” said Muffett. “There is a deep and pervasive relationship between oil and gas companies and plastics.”
The report follows the CEIL’s recent study, released earlier this month, which showed that the plastics industry has known its products were polluting the world’s oceans since the 1970s and has spent decades fighting regulations that aim to keep the crisis from getting worse.
“We are already producing more disposable plastic than we can deal with, more in the last decade than in the entire twentieth century, and millions of tons of it are ending up in our oceans,” Louise Edge, senior oceans campaigner for Greenpeace UK, told the Guardian.
Another study by researchers at the University of California at Santa Barbara, published earlier this year, warned that excessive plastic production could lead to “near-permanent contamination” of the earth since the material is not biodegradable.
By Julia Conley / Creative Commons / Common Dreams / Report a typo
This article was chosen for republication based on the interest of our readers. Anti-Media republishes stories from a number of other independent news sources. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect Anti-Media editorial policy.
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