Showing posts with label Military science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Military science. Show all posts

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Prius (D)riving NY Legislator Fakes PTSD Panic Attack To Get Out Of Minor Speeding Ticket (VIDEO)

Content originally published at iBankCoin.com


Ulster County, N.Y. legislator Jennifer Schwartz Berky (D) – who is up for reelection Nov. 7, put on quite an act for a local police officer Gary Short after she was pulled her over for driving 43 mph in a 30 mph zone while talking on her cell phone.


A 26-minute video of the May 2017 incident was released last Tuesday during an Ulster Town Board meeting, and features a meltdown of epic proportions.


After Berky failed to impress officer Short by casually mentioning “I work for the county government, I’m a county legislator,” she immediately shifted into the victim role and proceeded to have histrionic tantrum. “Please don’t give me a ticket, I’m broke,” Berky cried, adding “I’m completely broke, and if you tell people, it’s going to hurt me. I’m totally broke. I made $20,000 last year. Please don’t give me a ticket.”


Officer Short – a consummate professional throughout the encounter, returns to his squad car to run Berky’s information, when Berky gets out of her car and fakes a panic attack, while on the phone, claiming PTSD.





Full video here:


  


Berky has learned from this and is ready to move on!


In response to the viral video, Berky issued an apology (the comments section is hilarious):


“The video released earlier this week of my Town of Ulster traffic stop captured a tough moment for me,” stated Berky. “Like so many working families, I too face tough times and stressful situations.  As a professional, a public servant and a mother, I know my interaction with Police Officer Gary Short was unacceptable. I want to apologize to Officer Short and thank him for his patience and professionalism with me during a very difficult time. This has been a humbling experience for me. I hope to use it to grow and learn how to better represent the diverse working families who reside in the great the city of Kingston.”


If you’re an Ulster resident and would like to check out Berky’s platform – here ya go. I don’t think it’s going over so well.


  


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Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Russia Successfully Test-Fires New RS-24 Yars ICBMs

In a unanimous decision, the United Nations Security Council on Monday tightened sanctions against North Korea after Russia, China and the US compromised on a watered-down agreement that cut North Korean exports by 90%, reducing the refined products available to North Korea by 44% and fuel by 30% - though it did not touch the North Korean oil trade.


But while the sanctions likely won’t halt the North’s nuclear program, they will likely render the Kim regime increasingly desperate – increasingly the possibility that the unthinkable could happen. With North Korea showing no signs of being open to talks with the US - as both Russia and China have repeatedly insisted – Russia has decided to test some of its most powerful weapons to make sure they work should geopolitical events take an unfortunate turn.



According to Russia Today, Russia successfully completed a test launch of a new RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile from a silo at the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia.





“The main purpose of the launch is to confirm the reliability of rockets of the same class. The warheads successfully reached their target – the Kura testing range in Kamchatka. All aims of the test were achieved,” said a statement from Russia’s Defense Ministry.



The RS-24 Yars, which is equipped with three to six warheads, can hit targets up to 12,000 kilometers away. It was first tested a decade ago, and has been in use by Russian forces for seven years. The solid-fuel rocket is an upgraded version of the Topol-M missile, and can be launched from both the ground and from a vehicle.



The testing was part of strategic drills announced earlier this month, according to Russia Today.


Previously, Russia tested a submarine-based Bulava ICBM in June, successfully targeting the same facility as in the latest test, located near the Pacific coast in Kura.


A test of its RS-28 Sarmat super-heavy thermonuclear missile could be held in October, TASS reported on Monday, citing a military source.


In the wake of the North’s repeated tests this year, Russia Today notes that tests of missile-defense systems by the US and missiles tests by both China and Russia have received unusually high levels of scrutiny, which is, of course, understandable: US ships have in recent months played chicken with their Chinese counterparts during “Freedom Operations” in the South China Sea. Not too long ago, US jets and their Russian counterparts were having dangerous near-misses in the airspace above Syria. Tensions – not just in North Korea – are rising.
 

Saturday, September 9, 2017

The Gentleman's Guide to Self-Defense: Bulletproof SHIRT

See The Gentleman’s Guide to Self-Defense: Knife-Resistant Clothing.


Everyone knows that guns are great for protecting yourself.


But most people forget that all adversarial contests involve both offense and defense. If you"ve got a gun - but the bad guy gets off the first shot with his gun - you might still get killed.


Moreover, while you might be a quicker draw and better shot than a single bad guy breaking into your house, you might get ambushed by terrorists, gang bangers or other bad guys ... and got shot before you even have the time to draw, point and shoot.


That"s why military and law enforcement officers wear body armor.   If you"re playing to win, you need defense as well as offense.


But civilians - especially those of us who work in financial services, legal, accounting or other professional settings - can"t walk around in bulky Kevlar vests.


But that doesn"t mean that we have to be defenseless ...


A new company called Bullet Blocker (a subdivision of MJ Safety Solutions) tailors a new generation of Kevlar into everyday clothing.  For example, t-shirts:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Gabriel BBL Ballistic Base Layer Compression Vest


(The t-shirt,  called the Gabriel, is used by some undercover police officers. And Bullet Blocker"s VP told us that American Secret Service agents have purchased the Gabriel.)


Police magazine notes:





[The Gabriel is] essentially a performance T-shirt with NIJ-certified IIIA ballistic panels added to it.


***


As an added bonus, this design also gives the Gabriel a very low profile, making it ideal for undercover applications.


***


I wore my Gabriel for a few days under my normal work T-shirt and it was almost invisible. Bullet Blocker"s claims of heat dissipation and a more secure fit both rang true and I can certainly appreciate the benefits of the Gabriel design in any law enforcement setting.



2-piece suits:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Classic Two Piece Suit


Top coats:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof TopcoatBulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Long Topcoat


Vests:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Dress Vest


Sports coats:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Sportscoat


Leather jackets:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof WomenBulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Lamb Leather JacketBulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Distressed Leather Jacket


Every single clothing garment made by Bullet Blocker meets NIJ IIIA standards that will stop a 357 Magnum, 44 Magnum, 9mm, .45, hollow point ammunition and more.


Threat level IIIA is the highest level of protection available in soft body armor, and provides the same anti-ballistic protective coverage area as traditional law enforcement body armor vests.


And all of Bullet Blocker"s clothing can be washed, as the Kevlar panels are removable.


It"s made of anti-bacterial, breathable material.  So it doesn"t get funky right away like heavier materials do.


What"s even better, Bullet Blocker"s experienced tailors can satisfy your special requirements. For example, they were requested to make a bulletproof lab coat:


BulletBlocker NIJ IIIA Bulletproof Medical Lab Coat


So they could certainly make you a bulletproof button down shirt, or anything else you might want.


Bespoke and bulletproof!


We tested the Gabriel for comfort.  While it"s technically called a "compression vest", it"s as comfortable as my normal well-made polo shirts made out of thick cotton.


I hit the gym wearing the Gabriel and worked out like a maniac.  The Gabriel was amazingly cool and breathable for a bulletproof vest.


Bullet Blocker also makes a line of bulletproof briefcases, bags and backpacks.


So now even civilians working can protect ourselves while in professional or casual settings, and help shield ourselves from ambush by terrorists or thugs.


And Bullet Blocker can help protect your kids against school shooters:




I haven’t received a cent for writing this review. Bullet Blocker simply provided me a test sample of the Gabriel.

Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Putting North Korea's "Bomb Test" In Context

On Sunday, North Korea tested its most powerful nuclear bomb yet, detonating a device that caused a 6.3 magnitude tremor.


The weapon"s sheer power has caused alarm but the fact that Pyongyang is claiming it can be fitted inside an intercontinental ballistic missile is sending shockwaves through Asia and beyond.


Using data from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Statista"s Niall McCarthy presents the following infographic provides an overview of the strength of all North Korean nuclear tests since 2006.


Infographic: North Korea Tests Its Most Powerful Bomb Yet | Statista


You will find more statistics at Statista


Sunday"s detonation was estimated to have been 100 kilotons or more, far more powerful than previous tests and the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. How does it compare with the warheads inside current U.S. and Russian intercontinental ballistic missiles?


According to the Economist, the U.S. Trident and Russian SS ballistic missiles have a yield of 455 and 800 kilotons respectively.

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

South Korea Releases Footage Of Ballistic Missile Test Capable Of "Mass Retaliation"

Just hours after North Korea fired a ballistic missile across Japan, South Korea has released footage of its testing of a new ballistic missile, in a show of "overwhelming force."




While The White House has yet to respond to North Korea"s provocation, South Korea"s Blue House has stated that:





"We are considering the development of strategic assets in the US and we will consult with the United States."



US strategic weapons include B-1B strategic bombers, B-52 long-range nuclear bombers, stealth fighters, Aegis destroyers, and nuclear propulsion submarines.


But not wanting to rely solely on Trump, Yonhap reports the release of the following 86-second-long video clip showing the test-firing of a 500-kilometer-range ballistic missile with improved warhead power and that of another one with a range of 800 km. 



The footage shows the missile being fired and accurately hitting mock targets on the ground and in the water.



It was released by the state-run Agency for Defense Development (ADD)...





"We conducted the last flight test on the 24th to deploy the new 500-km ballistic missile and the 800-km ballistic missile, which are being developed under the leadership of the National Defense Science Institute."



"We are building a Korean three-axis system to respond to North Korea"s threats. To achieve this, we have developed a new ballistic missile (BM) with increased range and increased accuracy through diversification of warheads and improved accuracy. "



The 500-kilometer ballistic missile is "a new type of ballistic missile capable of accurately penetrating and destroying all of North Korea"s core facilities and is a key force in mass retaliation."


Thursday, June 8, 2017

North Korea Fires Multiple Ballistic Missiles

The day before "Berserker Thursday" with its UK elections, Comey testimony and the ECB decision, was supposed to be quiet. Instead we had the first domestic Iran terrorism in decades, Iran vowing revenge on Saudi Arabia, rising Qatar crisis tensions, South Korea telling the US it can go to hell, Syria threatening to strike US forces, the biggest crude crash in months, Germany pulling out of Turkey, Turkey approving the deployment of troops to Qatar, and stocks of course finishing the day higher.


And now, to top it all off, moments ago North Korea fired not one but multiple ballistic missiles, confirming the earlier story from Japan"s Asahi.



From Yonhap:





North Korea launched a salvo of apparent ballistic missiles from its east coast Thursday, South Korea"s military said.



"North Korea fired multiple unidentified projectiles, assumed to be surface-to-ship missiles, this morning from the vicinity of Wonsan, Gangwon Province," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).



It was immediately reported to President Moon Jae-in, it added.



Expect futures to melt up on this latest development in a world whose news cycle no longer takes even one minute off.

Monday, May 22, 2017

Meanwhile, In Baltimore...

Via StockBoardAsset.com,


What I Saw Today In Maryland... The Militarization Of Police.


The intensive militarization of America’s police forces is a serious topic of which the mainstream media somewhat ignores. On my travels to Hunt Valley, Maryland, I stumbled upon a family oriented charity event for law enforcement at the University of Maryland Extension. I was shocked to find unattended assault rifles and military  gear loosely displayed. (Weapons had safety features in place) 



Armored military vehicle with turret



Baltimore County, Maryland police helicopter



Military grade optics on the helicopter. By the way, FLIR systems is head quartered right here in Hunt Valley, Maryland



Conclusion: Baltimore County law enforcement looks like a small private army that should be somewhere in the Middle East. Nevertheless, this is a first hand account of the militarism in US police forces.



Bonus: Like it or not, the march towards a police state is here


Wednesday, April 26, 2017

US To Test Fire ICBM Tonight That Can Reach North Korea

In a "Crocodile Dundee-esque" show of "that"s not a nuclear missile... this is a nuclear missile" one-upmanship, US military personnel will test fire the deadly (unarmed) Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile between 12:01 and 6:01 a.m. tonight from the north end of the Vandenberg Air Force Base near Lompoc in California.



Col John Moss, 30th Space Wing commander, will oversee the launch of the long range missile, saying:





"Team V is once again ready to work with Air Force Global Strike Command to successfully launch another Minuteman III missile.



These Minuteman launches are essential to verify the status of our national nuclear force and to demonstrate our national nuclear capabilities.



We are proud of our long history in partnering with the men and women of the 576th Flight Test Squadron to execute these missions for the nation."




Additionally, as The Daily Star reports, after President Trump branded North Korea "a real threat to the world," Col Deane Konowicz, the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron commander, said the test will send a message to enemies of the US...





"The Simulated Electronic Launch of a Minuteman III ICBM is a signal to the American people, our allies, and our adversaries that our ICBM capability is safe, secure, lethal and ready.



“It highlights the ground and airborne command and control elements of an electrically-isolated ICBM, demonstrating that our deployed ICBMs will respond to critical launch commands.”



The apparent hypocrisy of the escalated sabre-rattling is not lost on many, as The LA Times reports, The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, criticized the timing of the launch, citing heightened tension between the U.S. and North Korea.





When it comes to missile testing, the U.S. is operating with a clear double standard: It views its own tests as justified and useful, while it views the tests of North Korea as threatening and destabilizing,” foundation president David Krieger said in a statement.



What is needed is diplomacy rather than military provocations. Threats, whether in the form of tweets, nuclear-capable aircraft carrier groups, or nuclear-capable missile launches, only increase the dangers to us all.”



The Vandenberg test would be the second missile launched from the base this year.


 


Three Minuteman III missiles were launched in 2016, according to Lt. Col. Jason Turner, 2d Range Operations Squadron commander.

Monday, April 3, 2017

Is This The Greatest 'Arb' In The World?

Since it first entered service with the Soviet army in 1948, the AK-47 and its derivatives have become the world"s most widely used assault rifles.


As Statista"s Niall McCarty writes, in his book "AK47: The Story of The People"s Gun", author Michael Hodges estimates that there are as many as 200 million Kalashnikov rifles in circulation, one for every 35 people on earth. Its popularity among soldiers, criminals and militants is primarily due to its cheap price, durability, reliability and sheer simplicity.


However, while demand may be high, prices vary dramatically... which gave us an idea.


Infographic: The Cost Of An AK-47 On The Black Market | Statista


You will find more statistics at Statista


200 different types of Kalashnikov are produced in at least 30 countries with vast quantities of rifles turning up in trouble spots all over world, especially in Africa. The AK rifles used in the Paris attacks at Charlie Hebdo and the Bataclan theater were purchased in Belgium and traced back to the Balkans (and to Serbia in particular). Given that the AK-47 is at the center of the illegal ams trade (worth an estimated $1.7 to $3.5 billion every year), how much would one cost on the black market?


A recent report from Global Financial Integrity has shed light on the cost of an illegally-procured AK-47 in several selected countries. Somebody seeking one in Pakistan could pay $148 for a locally produced version or $1,200 for the real deal. In Belgium, where the Paris attackers obtained their guns, an AK-47 has an average pricetag of $1,135. It"s also possible to find AK-type rifles through the darknet and they can cost anywhere from $2,800 to $3,600.


So, is buying AK-47s in Afghanistan and selling them online via the Dark Web, the greatest globalization "arb" ever? Or simply the correct risk-premium for life-threatening procurement costs and jail-threatening sales anxiety?

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Army Preps For Urban Warfare In MegaCities: "Mass Migration, Disaster, And Inner-City Turmoil"

Submitted by Mac Slavo via SHTFPlan.com,



There will be war in the streets of America. Things have been engineered that way.


The scenarios are many, the issues are complex. The current anger from the left, who are violently protesting against President Trump, is just one aspect of it.


But the Pentagon and the U.S. national security structure is increasingly looking towards the shifting demographics around the globe – people have moved from rural areas, and shifted into cities. Where ever conflict stirs, there will be a need for military and SWAT response to the call. Entire cities will be locked down; door to door sweeps will often have violent ends.


Baghdad could be brought home to the streets of America, and the military already knows it.


The powers that be are deeply concerned about the unfolding situations with migrants, illegal immigrants, potential terrorists, political factions, violent protests, arson and riots.


Increasingly, they are training for and expecting a homegrown conflict that will call for them to restore order in a major cities – and even hunt down suspects block to block, like in the Boston Marathon bombing incident, while making some significant infringement of our civil liberties.


During the past several years, there have been reports about unannounced urban warfare drills in major U.S. cities, sometimes in coordination with major events; there have also been military training scenarios that have maintained a consistent theme of civil unrest, economic breakdown and widespread riots.


As Intellihub reported:





For years the alternative media has warned about the US military possibly being used against the American people in a time of economic collapse or any sort of martial law scenario.


Drills such as Vigilant Guard 2010 have brought widespread attention to the fact that portions of our own military are training to take on crowds of American citizens demanding food and Constitutional rights in a time of crisis.


Now, a new release by the website Public Intelligence, once again confirms that as recently as February and March of 2012, US troops at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington were conducting training scenarios for a civil disturbance domestic quick reaction force.


A series of photos of the drills shows US troops with crowd control riot shields on the opposite side of actors portraying what can only be described as American citizens.



What do the elite know that we don’t?


Now, a major military scholar is calling for the creation of “megacities combat units” – a proposal that is a major and drastic departure from warfare of the past, which has been designed away from cities. Now, military and paramilitary units, as well as local law enforcement, much engage the population itself – with all the unpredictability afforded by a real life, complex situation filled with combatants, non-combatants and friendlies behind any and all doors, etc.


With a heightened focus on terrorism and reigning in undocumented immigrants, there will be a tendency, if we are not careful, for a heightened militarized and police state atmosphere to arise – both at home, and in everyplace that they take the fight.


Major John Spencer, a former Ranger Instructor and scholar at West Point’s Modern War Institute called for an armed unit ready for megacities deployment in an op-ed:





Every year, more and more of the world’s population moves into cities. The number of megacities is growing exponentially. Both of these global patterns and their inevitable consequences for military operations are well documented. Yet we still do not have units that are even remotely prepared to operate in megacities. If we want to find success on the urban battlefields the US Army will inevitably find itself fighting on in the future, that needs to change.



Throughout history, military forces either sought to avoid or simply had no need to engage in urban combat. Most military doctrine, and the strategic theory it is built upon, encourages land forces to bypass, lay siege to, or—if required—isolate and slowly clear cities from the outside in. The great armies of the world have historically fought for cities rather than in cities, a distinction with a significant difference. In cases where military forces had no choice but to operate within cities, the environment, almost without exception, proved very costly in both military and civilian casualties. Today, many armies have accepted that global population growth and urbanization trends will increasingly force military operations into crowded cities, and military forces must therefore be capable of conducting the full range of operations in large, dense urban areas.



Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley recently remarked that the Army “has been designed, manned, trained and equipped for the last 241 years to operate primarily in rural areas.” But that is about to change. Milley continued:



[…]



The conclusions of the SSG research are clear: megacities are unavoidable, they are potentially the most challenging environment the Army has ever faced, and the Army is unprepared to operate in them.



[…]



One ongoing military study of megacities is the NATO Urbanization Project. […] In the project’s most recent experiment, the NATO team conducted a wargame to determine the capabilities needed to achieve the goals of three likely missions in 2035: response to mass migration, natural disaster, and inner-city turmoil. Within these missions, the wargame specified that a brigade conduct three operations in a megacity—joint forcible entry, major combat, and subsequent stability operations—without unacceptable levels of military or civilian casualties.



[…]



Of course, urban warfare is not exclusively a future phenomenon. Much has been learned from urban battles in recent history: the Siege of Sarajevo (1992–95); the Battle of Mogadishu (1993); Russian operations in Grozny (1994–95 and 1999–2000); US operations in Baghdad (2003) and Fallujah (2004); Lebanese operations in Nahr al-Bared, Lebanon (2007); and the Second Battle of Donetsk (2014–15). But the broad lessons of these cases have yet to truly inform Army training for urban combat, which for most units consists mainly of tactical training (e.g., room clearing drills with four-man teams). The Army would be much better served by the creation of an entire unit dedicated to preparing to operate in dense urban environments, particularly megacities.



Any way you slice it, the military and the national security infrastructure are watching for cracks in the system.


People are at their wits end, and many are on the edge of poverty – and for many, it just won’t take much more to set them loose, and let riots erupt. Whether the system wants those to spread, or wants to suppress and contain them, they know they are coming.


Population pressures, and clashing groups within growing city centers are creating more problems, and compounding old ones.


If the economic stability of a given region were to give way, nearly every megacity would spiral out of control and descend into absolute madness – whether or this continent or any other.


via Nicholas West:





 The following Pentagon video was featured by The Intercept and portrays the chilling atmosphere presented by sheer numbers and those who would enter such environments in the pursuit of order.






Rather than trying to guess what specific crisis may spill over into violence, or bring things to a stand still in traffic or electronic commerce, just consider the piling pressure that is growing in the techno hubs and swelling urban population centers.


New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston and dozens of enormous cities around the world are all completely vulnerable. Depending upon the political situation, unrest, violence or whatever else could spread across the entire Eastern half of the U.S., and the entire country could face collapse as it has never before known it. It is only a question of timing and circumstance.


Preppers should take all this into account. Modern life may make a connection to the city unavoidable prior to the collapse, but being insufficiently away from major urban centers is definitely a liability in times of crisis. Even outlying neighbors can be subject to looting, natural disaster, grid shutdown, riots, and many other situations. Make arrangements to shelter away from the city, and make sure you can get there safely and quickly when something goes down.


Do not rely on the services or goods of these cities, and get out while you still can. There are some very major crises brewing right now. They are preparing; you should, too.


h/t Nicholas West, Activist Post