Tuesday - October 11, 2011

WTF Breaking NEWS

Attorney General Holder to give press conference in 10-15 minutes

Iranian plot to BOMB Saudi and Israeli embassies in DC???

Flip on the news and see. 

Maybe it’s just smoke and mirrors ... real easy for the gov to say “ooooh look! a terrorist plot we foiled!!” and you can’t prove it one way or the other. A good way to hide from Fast & Furious ? Or it could be true, because the Mad Mullahs really ARE that crazy.

PRE conference rumor:
Iranian immigrant who was part of the plot tried to meet with Mexican drug cartel leaders to get funding ... FBI pretended to be cartel guys, gave him money ... later arrested him and the plot came out under questioning?

OMG. Hey, remember how the MSM and the loony left said Bush was crazy because he linked the drug lords with the terrorists? Guess he was right!



Conference:

Iranian Revolutionary Guard drove the plot, directed it from Iran ... flagrant violation of int’l law. USA holding Iran accountable.

Conspiracy to use WMD, conspiracy to commit act of terrorism, conspiracy to assassinate diplomats.

Meetings started in May in Mexico ... $1.5 million Murder For Hire plan ... feds faked him out and paid him $100K, the guy sang after his arrest ...

FBI Director Mueller:

Individuals from one country conspired to work with drug cartel to assassinate diplomats in our country. No regard for any collateral damage, no regard for the rule of law ... we send a clear message that any attempts will not be tolerated and will feel the full brunt of the law ...
either oversees or here at home ...

Lisa Monaco:  (who is she??  AAG, Mueller’s Chief of Staff)
Thanks everyone, this is great cooperation between all the agencies and countries involved.

Over to the next flunky (this is becoming a game of musical chairs!) Preet Bharara, AAG South NY I think
Plan was to bomb the ambassadors in a restaurant with 150 people in it ... Iranian plotters couldn’t care less about collateral damage ... this was supposed to be ONLY THE INITIAL ATTACK, with more to come ... thanks to everybody for their efforts ... other countries will not use our soil for their battleground.

Holder gets back in front of mic for Q’s -
Q. To what degree was Iranian gov complicit?
A. It was directed and approved by senior members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard

Q. So the leaders at the top in Iran knew and blessed it?
A. We’re not making that claim at this point.

Q Aside from the money, what were the other overt acts? Explosives?
A. NO. Discussions, meetings took place, no explosives were provided

Q. What was Mexico’s role?
A. Holder: Mexico was cooperative, significant, but we don’t want to go into details.

Q. Are there more conspirators on the loose?
A. No.

Q. What kind of attack was it supposed to be?
A. Read the document ... if memory serves, there was a discussion of using explosive devices.

Q. Fast & Furious! Critics don’t believe your testimony! Comment?
A. Holder: We sent loads of documents, but that situation will not detract from this conference ... and he WALKS OFF THE STAGE. Conference over.

Mansuur Aratsirir was the guy arrested. I’m sure I spelled his name wrong. Golem Shakuri, a co-conspirator and Iranian citizen, is still at large.

Talking heads on Fox (KT McFarland) - P"this could be considered an act of war, but the Rev. Guard isn’t the real leaders of the country"P.  HUH? She is trying to say that the Rev Guard is the fall guy; that this could never have been done without knowledge and approval from the very top. (kind of like Fast & Furious, right??) [P” = paraphrasing what she said. Not her exact words] “Iran is entering a high stakes poker game”

Next head: Walid Phares, terrorism expert. DOOODES, hang on a second, don’t think about “act of war”. First think how it is that Rev Guard has such inroads and agents in Washington DC!!?? “This doesn’t come alone.” “It means that they have other things they want to do within the region.”

Mansuur Aratsrir thought he was meeting with the Zetas in Mexico. His return plane was diverted to JFK and that’s where the FBI busted him.

Phares: the plot is wider than just one man. How many others? Iranians, Hezbollah - they could be Iranians or allies of Iran. Was Iran even going to claim it if it happened? Iran has become very bold; units in Venezuela, Navy ships in the Suez and Med., etc. What other stuff do they have up their sleeves ready to go?

White House to let us know in a few hours how they plan to hold Iran accountable ...

Posted by Drew458     on 10/11/2011 at 12:49 PM   
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   Friday - October 07, 2011

Leaked Report

The Dutch national railway has an unusual solution for passengers who need the bathroom on a train line designed without them: plastic bags.

The rail operator underlined that the bags, introduced Friday, are for use in emergencies only, when a train has stopped and passengers can’t be evacuated. The idea has been met with incredulity by politicians and the general public already unhappy with the short-haul “Sprinter” trains’ bathroomless design.

NS spokesman Eric Trinthamer confirmed Friday the “pee-bag" plan is not a joke. The bags are kept out of sight in the conductor’s booth.

The bags have a cup-shaped plastic top and contain a highly absorbent material that turns urine into a gel-like mixture. After use the bags can be sealed and thrown in the trash.

Eeewwwww.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/07/2011 at 09:13 AM   
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   Monday - October 03, 2011

Italian Jurisprudence

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/03/amanda-knoxs-appeals-verdict-expected-in-italy/

FULL ACQUITTAL

She was fined €22,000 for defamation though (slander against the Italian police, or was it the bartender? Ah, who cares?). Judge orders her immediate release.

DNA got her off; there was next to none of hers on the knife in question. Lies and misstatements from the prosecution may have also played a part.

If the evidence isn’t there, then a conviction can not be made.

Dear Amanda: Get the hell outta Italy before they change their minds!

PERUGIA, Italy — An appeals jury on Monday overturned the murder convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito in the killing of her roommate Meredith Kircher four years ago.

Knox collapsed in tears after the jury declared that the evidence against the two was not reliable. Both she and her ex-boyfriend were then taken back to prison where they were to be formally freed.

The Kercher family looked on grimly as the verdict was read out by the judge after 11 hours of deliberations by the eight-member jury.

Outside the courthouse, some of the hundreds of observers shouted “Shame, shame!”

As Knox waited for the verdict to be read, she appeared tense — leaning forward in her chair, and panting and wincing between exchanges with her lawyer. A black cloak draped around her, she put her hands to her face several times.

Slander convictions against Knox and Sollecito were upheld, but since those were three-year sentences they were considered time served.

Earlier Monday, a tearful Knox told the jury that she did not kill her British roommate, pleading for the court to free her so she can return to the United States after four years behind bars.

Knox frequently paused for breath and fought back tears as she spoke in Italian to the eight members of the jury in a packed courtroom, but managed to maintain her composure during the 10-minute address.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/03/2011 at 02:48 PM   
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   Saturday - October 01, 2011

What are the odds of this happening?

CANBERRA, Australia – An ultra-light plane crashed into a Ferris wheel at a rural festival in eastern Australia on Saturday, trapping two children on the ride and two people in the aircraft for hours. There were no serious injuries.

The Cheetah S200 carrying two men did not topple the Ferris wheel when it hit the frame near the top on the first morning of an annual three-day festival at Old Bar, a coastal village 220 miles (350 kilometers) north of Sydney, New South Wales Rural Fire Service spokesman Ben Shepherd said.

Two children—a 9-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl—where trapped in a carriage at the top of the wheel near the wrecked plane for 90 minutes, a police statement said.

The 52-year-old pilot and his 32-year-old passenger were trapped inside the mangled aircraft more than 30 feet (10 meters) above the ground for almost three hours, police said.

Shepherd said rescuers used a crane to free the four.

“Thankfully, everyone was taken down and were able to walk away from it,” Shepherd said.

The pilot, Paul Cox, said he did not see the Ferris wheel before his plane hit it.

The Ferris wheel only had 5 children aboard because it was about to rain. No one was injured. The rural fair in Taree, New South Wales is an annual “happening” that attracts droves of kombi van (restored VW camper buses) enthusiasts.

Posted by Drew458     on 10/01/2011 at 07:48 AM   
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   Saturday - September 24, 2011

Chicken Little Exhales

NASA’s dead six-ton satellite fell to Earth early Saturday morning, starting its fiery death plunge somewhere over the vast Pacific Ocean.

Details were still sketchy, but the U.S. Air Force’s Joint Space Operations Center and NASA say that the bus-sized satellite first penetrated Earth’s atmosphere somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. That doesn’t necessarily mean it all fell into the sea—although most of it is believed to have burned up.

NASA’s calculations had predicted that the former climate research satellite would fall over a 500-mile swath.

The two government agencies say the 35-foot satellite fell sometime between 11:23 p.m. EDT and 1:09 a.m. EDT. NASA said it didn’t know the precise time or location yet

Some 26 pieces of the satellite—representing 1,200 pounds of heavy metal—were expected to rain down somewhere. The biggest surviving chunk should be no more than 300 pounds.

The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, will be the biggest NASA spacecraft to crash back to Earth, uncontrolled, since the post-Apollo 75-ton Skylab space station and the more than 10-ton Pegasus 2 satellite, both in 1979.
...
Some 26 pieces of the UARS satellite—representing 1,200 pounds of heavy metal—are expected to rain down somewhere. The biggest surviving chunk should be no more than 300 pounds (136 kilograms).

Earthlings can take comfort in the fact that no one has ever been hurt by falling space junk—to anyone’s knowledge—and there has been no serious property damage. NASA put the chances that somebody somewhere on Earth would get hurt at 1-in-3,200. But any one person’s odds of being struck were estimated at 1-in-22 trillion, given there are 7 billion people on the planet.
...
In any case, finders definitely aren’t keepers. Any surviving wreckage belongs to NASA, and it is against the law to keep or sell even the smallest piece. There are no toxic chemicals on board, but sharp edges could be dangerous, so the space agency is warning the public to keep hands off and call police.

Really? Against the law to keep space debris? WTF? I can’t imagine a stronger definition of throwing something away than shooting it into orbit. Another bloody unconstitutional law IMO. Ok, while it’s in orbit and they can control it, it’s theirs. Fine. But when it’s dead it’s trash. A billion dollars worth of recycling, and the biggest ticket for littering that ever was.

Anyway, the Big Scare is over now, so the MSM will have to move on and find something else to try and frighten everyone with that turns out to be utterly mundane.

Posted by Drew458     on 09/24/2011 at 08:45 AM   
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   Thursday - August 11, 2011

The Real Catchword

Some presidencies are indelibly associated with certain words or phrases. We all figured that the Obama one (and it had better be just one!) would be hooked up with Hope an Change. And while it looked that way on the campaign trail, the real catchword is “unexpected”. That shows you how cynical a people we have become, and it shows you just how in the tank the media is for this buffoon. Every last bit of bad news that bubbles up because yet another of his plans isn’t working is “unexpected”, even when it continues to happen month after month after month. Funny how some folks can’t spot a trend even when it slaps them in the face with a cold mackerel. Yet these are the same people who decided, “scientifically”, that a few years of hot summers and mild winters was indicative of a half-an-eon trend in climate change.  Gosh. Cynical me, I don’t find these levels of stupid to be unexpected at all. Here’s today’s unexpected news.

The U.S. trade gap widened in June to its largest since October 2008, as both U.S. imports and exports declined in a sign of slowing global demand, a government report showed on Thursday.

The June trade deficit leapt to $53.1 billion, surprising analysts who expected it to narrow to $48 billion from an upwardly revised estimate of $50.8 billion in May.

Overall U.S. imports fell by close to 1 percent, despite a rise in the value of crude oil imports to the highest since August 2008. Higher volume pushed the oil import bill higher, as the average price for imported oil fell to $106 per barrel after rising in each of the eight prior months.

Industrial supplies and materials led the overall import decline, despite the higher value of crude oil imports. June imports of foods, feeds and beverages increased slightly to $9.2 billion, a new record. Imports from China also rose nearly 5 percent to $34.4 billion, pushing the closely-watched trade gap with that country to $26.7 billion, the highest in 10 months. U.S. exports fell for a second consecutive month to $170.9 billion, as shipments to Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Central America, France, China and Japan all declined. However, exports to the entire 27-member European Union rose fractionally higher to $22.7 billion, despite the debt crisis troubling the continent.

President Barack Obama has set a goal of doubling U.S. exports by end of 2014 to help pull the U.S. economy out of its slump and generate new jobs.

Mwaahahahaahahaa!!! Oh stop it, you’re killing me!!! The only way he can do that is to get our economy moving strongly forward, and as the lead sentence in this article shows, his leadership hasn’t helped things one damn little bit for the whole 2 1/2 years he’s been in power. We’re in just as bad shape as we were the month before he was elected. I guess that utterly non-existent level of Change is entirely unexpected.

Unemployment Applications Fall to 395K

The number of people who filed for U.S. unemployment benefits fell 7,000 to 395,000 in the week ended Aug. 6, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch had expected jobless claims to increase to 410,000 from an initially reported 400,000 in the prior week. Applications had been above 400,000 for the previous 17 weeks.
...
The economy expanded at an annual rate of just 0.8 percent in the first six months of the year, the slowest growth in the two years since the recession officially ended. It’s not likely to get much better in the second half of the year. The Federal Reserve on Tuesday said it expects growth will stay weak for two more years.

Odd though that this story, which actually was unexpected news, isn’t really being reported that way. Maybe it’s because 7,000 fewer lost jobs is merely a tick; a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 6.8 million folks who have lost their paychecks in the past 4 months. Oh, and economy “growing” at 0.8 percent is actually shrinking when the population is growing at a rate higher than that.

Good of the Fed to admit that things are going to stay flatlined for the next several years ... so I guess Fearless Reader’s plan to double exports is going to have to be wrapped in plain brown paper and thrown under the bus. It ain’t never gonna happen.

Oh, and don’t you love the “since the recession officially ended” part? What, did King Canute Lord Obama wave his mighty scepter and make the tides recede? Who’s fooling who here?

Strong performance by networking-giant Cisco and better-than-expected jobs data ignited a broad rally, but trading remained choppy amid heightened concerns over European banks and the global economy.

As of 10:25 a.m. ET, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 219 points, or 2.1%, to 10,949, the S&P 500 jumped 27 points, or 2.4%, to 1,148 and Nasdaq Composite rose 64.3 points, or 2.7%, to 2,445.

Weekly jobless claims fell to 395,000 from 402,000 in the prior week, slightly better than expectations of 400,000.  The U.S. trade deficit hit $53.1 billion in June, wider than the $48 billion economists forecast.  The bigger the trade gap, the more it shaves from broader measures of economic output, meaning a wider deficit could be a hindrance on growth.

In other words, the newspaper reporter doesn’t know either, but he’s got to write something. My expectation is that gold will hit $1750 today. I haven’t checked; maybe it’s there already. Gold and silver seem to be the only reliable indicators, and they just continue to inflate. Which means we’re still falling down the poop chute. Wonderful.

Posted by Drew458     on 08/11/2011 at 09:30 AM   
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   Thursday - June 30, 2011

the voice of syria have some grinning while some just groan

Happened on something of a humorous nature the other day.
Apparently Syria has their version of Baghdad Bob.  Remember him?  Well, this version is female and a lot prettier, speaks perfect English and is a graduate of Oxford with a masters degree.  Article doesn’t say in what but it doesn’t matter for our purpose here. Must say though I am more impressed with her degree and looks then I am with the local rep. here from the Action on Climate change, who is about to attend university in Leeds for a degree in ... Sustainability. ? WTH?

But back to the subject. Syria.  I have a question for any of you in the USA. Are you folks getting a lot of coverage about the situation there? It’s 24/7 here or so it seems.  I am not defending Syria in any way but, in every case whether it Libya, Syria or any other state the west has issues with, when people gather to protest and usually riot, they are without exception suddenly Pro Democracy Advocates. And we are all cajoled into believing that BS. Well some of us just don’t buy that line.  And btw, things in Egypt will prove how freedom loving and democratic those folks are in a short time.  It’s reported that muzzies there have their knickers in a twist because Mr. and Mrs. Mouse (as in Mickey) have made an appearance in someone’s Twitter account dressed as muslims. So some group of freedom loving members of the ROP are calling for tongues to be cut off.

Well anyway ...........  Here’s someone called Comical Sally.  Ooh ... and she’s a redhead too.

‘Comical Sally’ returns to defend Syria

The Syrian government spokesman nicknamed “Comical Sally” for her attempts to defend the regime returned to British television two weeks after she was thought to have been fired.

By Richard Spencer, Middle East Correspondent

Reem Haddad had disappeared from the air-waves after saying that refugees fleeing into Turkey were “visiting relatives”. She said: “It’s a bit like having a problem in your street, and your mum lives in the next street, so you go and visit your mum for a bit.”

A statement on a Syrian news website said she had been replaced as head of the department of international information. But on Sunday she reappeared, giving an interview to Sky Television in support of claims that many Syrian troops had been killed by armed gangs.

She quickly found herself in trouble again, though, saying she disputed the figure given by the opposition to the station for the number of protesters killed even though she could not give the government figure herself.

“The number that we have which I do not have because I don’t have an accurate number is different from the number that you have just quoted,” she said. “It’s different, but it’s not the number you gave me.”

Miss Haddad is the daughter of a former Syrian ambassador to West Germany, who is now head of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee. Her international upbringing accounts for her fluency in English, polished when she did a master’s degree at Oxford University, according to an official website.

Her fluency and loyalty made her an obvious choice to represent the regime’s view. But she also developed a tendency to become aggressive when pressed over her claims that eye-witness reports were not to be trusted, at one stage hanging up the telephone on John Humphrys, presenter of the BBC Radio Four Today Programme.

Some newspapers nicknamed her Comical Sally in memory of the official spokesman of Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq in 2003, Mohammad Al -Sahaff, who became known as “Comical Ali” for his desperate attempts to claim Iraq was winning the Gulf War.

SOURCE

Might have been Comical Ali here, but we called him Baghdad Bob as I recall.

btw ... Can’t fault her for hanging up the phone on that bombastic jerk, John Humphrys.  Most of his interviews sound more like an inquisition then an interview. He constantly interrupts the ppl he is asking questions of, he asks a question which takes him 20 minutes and then he answers it himself. He really is very much in love with his glorious self and the sound of his own voice. 

Posted by peiper     on 06/30/2011 at 07:25 AM   
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   Tuesday - June 14, 2011

Blimp Crash In Germany

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Captain Mike Nerandzic, one of the world’s most experienced Airship Pilots. With a total of 26 years airship piloting experience covering more than 18,000 flight hours in 24 countries, Mike has been a leading Chief Pilot on Lightships for 20 years. Our thoughts at this time go to his wife and family, his colleagues past and present and his many friends worldwide.

- Lightships.com

AN AUSTRALIAN blimp pilot has been hailed a hero after he saved three passengers by ordering them to jump from the burning airship only to then die himself.

Michael Nerandzic, from Balgownie in Wollongong, was attempting to land the A60 Goodyear airship at an airfield at Reichelsheim in Germany, when the blimp caught fire during descent. The 53-year-old and three journalists with him were returning from a local music festival.

It is understood the passengers smelt fuel and heard a loud whirring noise before the blimp caught fire. Realising the airship was only moments away from disaster, Mr Nerandzic then made the heroic decision to put his own life on the line to save those of his passengers.  Hovering 2m above the ground he yelled for the three passengers to jump from the gondola to safety below.

That decision reduced the ballast weight of the airship which is believed to have caused it to shoot 50m into the air where it exploded with the burning wreckage falling to the ground. Mr Nerandzic was unable to escape and died in the wreckage.

Witnesses said they heard loud noises coming from the air before spotting a “fireball” moments before it crashed into a meadow near the airfield.

“We could hear the cries of the pilot as the fire surrounded him. It was terrible,” one said.

Amateur video of part of the crash here; news report video at links above and below.

Witnesses - the passengers and ground crew I’d guess - reported smell fuel and hearing a loud whirring noise from one of the engines.

The wife of a Wollongong blimp pilot, who died saving three airship passengers in Germany, has said her husband was “larger than life” and “a character”.

Speaking to the Illawarra Mercury today, Lyndy Nerandzic said she was not surprised to hear of husband Michael’s heroic actions in the last minutes of his life.

“When they told me what he had done for the passengers, it didn’t surprise me one little bit,” she said.

Blimps are filled with helium, which is a gas that does not burn. Blimps do not have any internal support structures like the framework in the old Zeppelins. Once mostly filled with helium, the bag (ie the “envelope") is kept firm by the assistance of an inner bag called a ballonet, which contains regular air. As the blimp rises and the helium expands, the ballonet deflates. When the helium contracts, the ballonet inflates and takes up the volume.

I could not find detailed information on blimp design, but from the way this crash happened I do not believe that they are built with a big dump valve on top like hot air balloons are. Such a valve might have saved this pilot. Or maybe not; we’ll never know.

While helium by itself is fairly rare in nature, large amounts of it are freed as part of the natural gas purification process.

Posted by Drew458     on 06/14/2011 at 08:00 AM   
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   Monday - June 13, 2011

is this the future of automobile eye candy?

Not too sure if this belongs here or not.

At first I was interested cos I remembered some the futuristic stuff we saw in the 50s.  The car on land and water, the flying car, and I can’t recall what else.
Back then, it seemed like the future held all sorts of whiz bang stuff. But large. What I mean by large is, we were thinking in terms of big items. Like cars and boats and especially planes.  I suppose some would have been thinking about computers. But back then we still had radio, and Capt. Marvel and The FBI, in Peace and War. The Green Hornet and the list goes on.  So anyway, the future was all about science and futuristic cars etc.
(I had a Lone Ranger Atomic Ring and a Capt. Midnight decoder. hey,hey) So that’s what this article reminded me of.

Don’t think I’d want one. With my record of backing things out of a garage not the best anymore, this would definitely be a problem.

German car .... Asian designer ....  That reminds me of another story but for another time.

Meet the car of the future that can drive on roads, sand, ice - and even water

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 8:16 AM on 13th June 2011

An inventor has come up with a new design for a car that will drive on roads, sand, ice - and even water.

The all-terrain vehicle, which has a top speed of 62mph and works like a hovercraft, can move seamlessly between different surfaces.

Female designer Zhang Yuhan, 21, created the amazing machine - called the Volkswagen Aqua - for a competition sponsored by the German car manufacturer.

Based on technology that is currently available, the Aqua uses a hydrogen fuel cell to power two motors - with zero carbon emissions.

One motor inflates the skirt around the vehicle to make it hover, while the second drives it forwards and controls its direction.

‘There is no better form of transport than an air cushion vehicle because it travels equally well over land, ice, and water,’ said Ms Yuhan.

The mechanic design graduate, from China, added: ‘I hope Aqua will become an affordable supercar that is available to the general public one day.’

The Xihua University student made the shortlist from the CDN China Car Award.

The competition asked designers to come up with a ‘Chinese off-road vehicle’ with ‘go-anywhere’ capabilities.

read and see more here

Posted by peiper     on 06/13/2011 at 06:09 AM   
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   Friday - May 27, 2011

a quick and amusing story. not too amusing for some though.

£900,000 State coach made for the Queen ‘missing’

A £900,000 handmade state coach designed as a gift for the Queen’s 80th birthday has vanished in Australia.

OK Drew, what did you do with the Queen’s coach?  She wants it back.

By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney 11:17AM BST 26 May 2011

The jewel-encrusted 2.75 tonne black carriage, made with $250,000 (£161,000) of Australian taxpayers’ money, was supposed to be delivered in 2006, but government officials have admitted they have no idea where it is.

The coach, named Britannia, is decorated with 24 diamonds, 130 sapphires and 400 books of gold leaf and is estimated to be worth a total of A$1.5 million (£900,000).

It was made by monarchist Jim Frecklington and is said to feature fragments of more than 100 British historical artefacts including timber from Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose, a piece of the 1760 doorway from 10 Downing Street and gold from Admiral Nelson’s crown from the Battle of Trafalgar.

While he was prime minister, John Howard committed $250,000 worth of public money to the project to support “Australian craftsmanship”.

Two years ago Mr Frecklington said the coach was ready and awaiting shipment to Britain, but under questioning in a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, government officials admitted that they do not know where the coach is and had never inspected it.

“Someone could have absconded with it,” Senator John Faulker told the inquiry “Is there any hope that the carriage will be presented to Her Majesty by the time she is 90?”

Mr Frecklington has insisted that the coach, which was not commissioned by the royal household and therefore will not be an official royal carriage, is not missing but would not elaborate on its whereabouts.

“It’s ready to go, “ he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph. “You will see more of it soon.” Mr Frecklington also designed the Australian State Coach, which was given to the Queen on behalf of the Australian people for the Bicentennial in 1988.

source

Posted by peiper     on 05/27/2011 at 12:36 PM   
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   Friday - April 08, 2011

Please Just STFU

Oh noes! We are just minutes/hours/days/months/years/decades away from the first government shutdown since the Clinton year!!

Yeah, and?

I don’t give a damn. Close the whole damn thing. I don’t care. It will not impact me for a long time. I’m not on any kind of federal assistance (or state either). I don’t know anyone who works for the government. What’s going to happen - the fed closes the doors for a week or two, and that means the IRS can’t cash my tax check? Oh, the agony that will cause me.

The neurotic yammering faces on TV are on this endlessly. Ever two or three minutes we’ve got Harry Reid or some other left wing imbecile going on about how this is all the Republican’s and Evil Tea Party’s fault - even though we all heard the tape of Schmucky Schumer talking with his boyz the other week about how this was exactly the plan. And the fear mongering is just beyond belief. Old people will die on the spot by the millions. Kittens will implode. Darkness will cover the land, and fire will rain from the sky. Tens of thousands of children will turn into puddles of mush. Blah blah blah blah bullshit. CNN reporting how the military won’t have the death benefit paid ... right now. And it’s all gonna be blamed on the GOP, as per Schmucky’s plan, which most of the media is only too happy to go along with.

Golly. I might not get my mail delivered for a week or two. So what? We pay all our bills online. Everything else that comes in the mailbox is junk, except for those awesome envelopes full of news clippings Peiper sends me. And I just got the last one Tuesday, so I’m not due for awhile.

It’s not the end of the world. In fact, it could be the beginning of a new one. Shut the feds down for a month, and agree that there won’t be any back pay whatsoever. How many billion will that save us?

So don’t compromise Mr. Boehner. Stand up straight for the first time in your otherwise worthless life and stick to your guns. And if the fed closes, those of us who aren’t leaching off of society will be just fine.

In the meantime, I do wish the media would take a damn chill pill.

Posted by Drew458     on 04/08/2011 at 02:15 PM   
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   Wednesday - March 23, 2011

Today’s Stupid News

• PC Schmaltz tries to rewrite history: Youngest Arizona shooting victim to get WTC I beam angel as memorial
  

  A piece of World Trade Center steel is being molded into an angel in the memory of a girl who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, and died in the Arizona shooting rampage that injured Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
  ...
  The angel statue honoring Christina-Taylor Green will stand 9 feet, 11 inches tall. It will also incorporate artifacts from the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pa.,
  ...
  Christina-Taylor was the youngest victim of the January shooting, which left six people dead and 13 wounded.
  

  It’s awful that this child died the way she did, but she was just one of thousands of children born on 9/11/01. The manner of her death had absolutely nothing to do with that terrorist attack, and making such a memorial from such a material both dilutes that day and the concept of terrorism. The Arizona shooting was NOT terrorism - violence done against the innocent for political ends - it was mass murder done by a crazy person.




• Hugo Chavez: Capitalism May Have Destroyed Life On Mars
  

  “I have always said, heard, that it would not be strange that there had been civilization on Mars, but maybe capitalism arrived there, imperialism arrived and finished off the planet,” Chavez said in a speech on Tuesday.

  The socialist president has been a fierce opponent of capitalism, and during his World Water Day speech, Chavez blamed capitalism for destroying Earth’s water supplies as well.

  Oh Hugo. You’re just as crazy as your pal Mohmar.




• Naked Woman Rescued From Cliff You just knew this was a California story, right?
  

  San Diego lifeguards Tuesday rescued a young woman who apparently became stranded on a cliff above Black’s Beach without her clothes. ... It took them about 30 minutes to rig a series of rescue ropes. A female lifeguard then rappelled about a third of the way down the 500-foot cliff to an exposed ledge, where the very exposed 27-year-old woman was stuck. ... Park rangers cited the woman for disregarding signs and entering a restricted area of Torrey Pines State Park. She then walked up a hiking trail from the beach to her car, which was parked near the Gliderport.

  What, no ticket for driving in the buff?




• Drew to Judge: You’re Fired!
  

  A Florida judge is defending his controversial decision to apply Islamic law instead of state or federal statutes in determining whether an arbitration award was correct, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

  The case in question involves former trustees of a local Tampa mosque, the Islamic Education Center of Tampa, who are suing because they claim they were unfairly removed as trustees.
  

  Look, if two izzies want to use Sharia to sort out their issues, fine, as long as no hand or head chopping is involved. But if the case goes to court, all that crap gets flushed. You then apply American law and nothing else. Ever. It is not fine, and it is not OK to apply any other legal precepts. Get off the bench you traitor. Turn in your robe.




• Florida Mayor gets smacked at town hall meeting
  

  … on Tuesday night, a town council meeting was abruptly interrupted when the husband of the town manager and Mayor Gary Bruhn got into a shouting match. The meeting was quickly adjourned and police officers evacuated the building, but before the room was cleared, someone took a punch at, or pushed, Bruhn which knocked him to the ground. Paramedics arrived and transported him to a nearby hospital. The hospital was later placed on lock-down.

  Excuse me? Evacuate the building? Lockdown? And yet no arrests? WTF? Sounds like Windermere has more problems than just Tiger Wood’s poor driving abilities. Looks like their police department is a dirty dirty mess, and that the former Top Cop there is a crook. Was the mayor covering for him, trying to blame Town Manager Cecelia Bernier, for which her husband gave him a sock in the nose? Maybe town hall meetings aren’t the best venue for this kind of thing.




• Oh please. Can’t we hear the truth for once? You ran out of your expensive missiles, that’s all. It’s not like there’s nothing left to blow up.
  

  The U.S. has essentially ended its Tomahawk missile missions in Libya as coalition forces launched air strikes over Libya for a fifth day Wednesday, targeting sites that support or supply Muammar al-Qaddafi’s military around the capital and other cities, defense officials said. A defense official tells Fox News that the U.S. doesn’t plant to launch any more Tomahawk cruise missiles unless they are needed.
  ...
  International attacks overnight Tuesday and early Wednesday included strikes on air defenses near Tripoli and an ammunition depot outside the besieged city of Misrata, one official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.
  ...
  International forces have also launched new airstrikes near the rebel-held city of Misrata, according to BBC News, as dozens have been killed in fighting in the western city. Snipers killed at least five people on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
  ...
  The official says the U.S. is still providing nearly all of the refueling tanker capability to the coalition and intelligence and surveillance from the air. [ that’s the NJ Air National Guard doing it’s bit in this ]

  Come on. You can only carry so many of these things on a ship. And they’ve shot off how many at this point? 162? The well is running dry, even at a “mere" $500,000 (or is it $1.5 million) per missile. And we only buy 200 per year. At least the Brit press is more honest about it: they’ve shot off 12, which is 1/5 of their supply. Um, isn’t it a bit traitorous for the papers to be telling the world just how many tactical missiles your country has?

Posted by Drew458     on 03/23/2011 at 12:24 PM   
Filed Under: • News-Briefs •  
• Comments (3) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Tuesday - March 15, 2011

Reporters and radiation

I’m reading with semi-professional interest the accounts of the Japan nuclear problems. I’m really appalled at the lack of decent info on the amounts of radiation being released.

I should inform you that I spent six years as a Navy Nuclear Operator, or ‘nuke’ ET. I’ve some knowledge of the subject.

Most of these articles don’t tell you anything meaningful. When an article tells you that radiation levels are 10x, 100x, etc over background, that’s meaningless unless they tell you what background levels are.

Here’s an Reuters article which at least gives some info:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/15/us-japan-radiation-leaking-directly-into-idUSTRE72E7B220110315

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), citing information it had received from Japanese authorities at 0350 GMT, said on Tuesday dose rates of up to 400 millisievert per hour have been reported at the Fukushima power plant site.

Okay, dose rates that high are reported AT the Fukushima plant. Doesn’t tell me a thing about the surrounding countryside radiation levels. I’m also unfamiliar with the ‘sievert’ as a unit of radiation measurement. Rads, Rems, Roentgens, even Curies, I can deal with. What’s a ‘sievert’?

Next article is even worse:

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/15/navy-detects-radiation-200-miles-japan-nuclear-plant/#ixzz1GitcrzFB

The U.S. Navy said Tuesday that very low levels of airborne radiation were detected at Yokosuka and Atsugi bases, about 200 miles to the north of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

This is worse than useless. Trust me, I can detect ‘low levels of radiation’ from your spouse, your TV, cellphone, etc. Meaningless without actual measurements. Report the levels your instruments are reading! Is that so hard to do? I might agree with you, but sans actual readings, you’re hiding something.

Another Reuters article: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/16/us-japan-quake-idUSTRE72A0SS20110316?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews&rpc=22&sp=true

Officials in Tokyo said radiation in the capital was 10 times normal at one point but not a threat to human health in the sprawling high-tech city of 13 million people.

No info on ‘normal’ levels, much less the 10x levels recorded.

Depending on where I am, my ‘normal’ radiation level could be 10x just based on location. Denver, CO, has much higher background than my home in Ohio. Denver is surrounded by exposed rocks that exude radon, for instance. It is also the ‘Mile High City’, which means there is less atmosphere to attenuate the sun’s radiation

Posted by Christopher     on 03/15/2011 at 09:57 PM   
Filed Under: • Editorials • News-Briefs •  
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   Thursday - March 03, 2011

the united states of europe … all will be equal … all have “rights.”

Just another example of the results encountered when a country allows foreigners to call the shots.  As members of the EU ... I don’t guess the Brits have a large say in the matter. Yet. But I do know public opinion more and more are voicing anger and frustration. 
As I understand things, much that the former govt. signed up to is still in force and for reasons I won’t pretend to understand, can’t be undone. 

So the bottom line I guess is, Welcome to the United States of Europe. Somewhat united.

Pretty far out for a country we’re told is near broke. AND ... as reported yesterday they are increasing aid to turd world countries. Like Somalia. Well at least I understand that last one as pirates are hard pressed to upgrade their fleet and so the money is welcome no doubt.

100,000 Eastern European migrants now free to claim full benefits in Britain worth tens of millions of pounds after EU ruling

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 4:24 PM on 3rd March 2011

As many as 100,000 migrants from Eastern Europe will be allowed to claim £250-a-week as Europe forces Britain to abolish its restrictions on benefits. 

In a move that could cost the British taxpayer tens of millions of pounds, migrants from the former Soviet bloc will be allowed jobseeker’s allowance, council tax benefit and housing benefit.

The law changes will come into effect within weeks as the European Union scraps restrictions imposed when eight states joined the EU in 2004, and it leaves Britain powerless to counter the move.

By my rough estimate that £250 works out to something like $400.00.

Only Britain, Ireland and Sweden permitted free access to workers from A8 countries in 2004. It is thought that many will now be attracted to Germany and Austria, which are geographically nearer.

‘We are in the process of delivering major reform to bring immigration down to the tens of thousands with the introduction of a new limit on economic migrants from outside the EU, alongside new proposals to reform other routes of entry, including students, families and marriage.’

The DWP said it had no choice but to remain in line with national and international obligations.

But the department insisted that protecting the benefit system from abuse was its ‘number one priority’.

A spokesman said: ‘No-one can just come into the UK and start claiming our benefits.

‘We have strict rules in place to protect the system from any abuse.

Let’s hope so, but. There’s always that darned ‘but’ included in things like this.  Meanwhile, there’s a host of “amnesty” types that can not be deported cos it might violate their rights. And most (it’s reported) are not working. Many believe none are.

This is a funny place.  Squatters can take over a million dollar property and can’t be removed easily cos they have ‘rights.’ AND ... they get legal aid paid for by guess who?  Right.  Meanwhile, the person who actually owns said property must shoulder the entire legal cost of removing the trash in human form. He hasn’t many rights at all.

Stay Tuned

source and related

Posted by peiper     on 03/03/2011 at 12:45 PM   
Filed Under: • Economics • News-Briefs • work and the workplace •  
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