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Joe Quinn
Sott.net 2013-02-18 08:42:00
How many Americans are aware that their government has claimed the authority to arbitrarily kill their fellow citizens when it chooses, and that it can do so 'legally', without any evidence that the citizen in question posed any threat to anyone, let alone the US government or its 'interests'? How many Americans are aware that the US government has responded to court cases brought by the ACLU questioning the US government's authority to engage in targeted assassinations of US citizens by saying that this is a political question and that US courts and judges have no say in the matter ("There exists no appropriate judicial forum to evaluate these constitutional considerations")? I'd wager not many. But that's precisely what the US government has done, according to a leaked unsigned and undated Justice Department white paper, obtained by NBC News. You can read the white paper here. The actual legal justification as defined by Justice Department lawyers in 2010 is being kept secret by the government, but the 'white paper' explains that, not only has the government decided that targeted assassinations without due process are legal, but that no evidence of any imminent threat from a target is necessary for the target to be deemed an imminent threat. (Go figure). | |
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Hedges v Obama - Interview with NDAA plaintiff Chris Hedges: NDAA 2013 overturns Posse Comitatus Act
Breaking the Set
Abby Martin sits down with journalist, author and lead plaintiff in the case against indefinite detention, Chris Hedges, about the historical precedent the NDAA lawsuit sets, and why every American should care.Russia Today, U.S. Edition 2013-02-08 13:36:00
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Comment: For reference, AUMF is the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Terrorists, passed on 14th September 2001.
The Posse Comitatus Act is an 1878 United States federal law limiting the powers of Federal government in using federal military personnel to enforce the State laws. In short, military personnel are not supposed to carrying out domestic police work. The NDAA is the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a United States federal law specifying the budget and expenditures of the United States Department of Defense, reviewed annually since it was first passed in 2007. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2013 is currently being 'debated' in congress, but as Chris Hedges points out, its most worrisome additions are probably already being used against American citizens... | |
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Leonard David
SPACE.com 2009-06-10 22:36:00 Comment: Editorial note, 17 February 2013: The following article and SOTT editorial comment (below) was first published in 2009.
For 15 years, scientists have benefited from data gleaned by U.S. classified satellites of natural fireball events in Earth's atmosphere - but no longer. A recent U.S. military policy decision now explicitly states that observations by hush-hush government spacecraft of incoming bolides and fireballs are classified secret and are not to be released, SPACE.com had learned. The satellites' main objectives include detecting nuclear bomb tests, and their characterizations of asteroids and lesser meteoroids as they crash through the atmosphere has been a byproduct data bonanza for scientists. The upshot: Space rocks that explode in the atmosphere are now classified. | |
Comment: Anyone who has been closely following the geopolitical situation over the last decade would not be in the least surprised or baffled at why this information is now being withheld from the public. Objects in the heavens will be playing a greater and greater role in events down here on the Big Blue Marble over the next few years, if our hypotheses here at SOTT are close to correct.
The masters of our world want more "hype and fear of the unknown". World events are orchestrated for just that effect. Too bad these scientists aren't reading SOTT! | |
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Alessandro Speciale|
The Washington Post 2013-02-15 15:27:00
VATICAN CITY - Less than two weeks before he retires, Pope Benedict XVI on Friday (Feb. 15) approved the appointment of a German lawyer and financier as the new head of the scandal-plagued Vatican Bank. Ernst von Freyberg will take on the role of president of the Istituto per le Opere di Religione, as the bank is formally known, nine months after former president Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was unceremoniously ousted by the bank's board with a no-confidence vote. But von Freyberg's appointment immediately sparked controversy. The lawyer will remain in his current role of chairman of the executive board of German shipyard Blohm + Voss, which was involved in the production of warships under Nazi Germany. Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said that the shipyard is currently involved in engineering and ship repair activities, as well as in the production of luxury yachts. But he also acknowledged that Blohm + Voss is "part of a consortium that is building four frigates for the German navy." Benedict "expressed his full consent to the choice made by the Commission of Cardinals," according to the Vatican. The outgoing pope has pushed hard to shed the Vatican's reputation as a suspect and secretive financial center. He has set up an independent financial watchdog and sought recognition from a European overseeing authority. But those efforts risk being overshadowed by Italian investigations into the Vatican Bank for alleged money laundering. | |
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Russia Today, U.S. Edition
Abby Martin takes a look back at the 1993 Waco massacre, the tactics used by federal agents and the subsequent cover up that remains to this day.2013-02-15 15:08:00
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Comment: Remember folks, this and Jonestown is where the 'cult-mass suicide' meme comes from - psychopathic government massacres in both instances.
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Breaking the Set
Abby Martin talks about the recent US Senate filibuster of Chuck Hagel's nomination as Secretary of Defense, adding that John Brennan's nomination should have been the one filibustered.Russia Today, U.S. Edition 2013-02-15 12:47:00
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Breaking the Set
Abby Martin talks to journalist Max Blumenthal about the media frenzy and cover-up surrounding the Chris Dorner case.Russia Today, U.S. Edition 2013-02-15 12:44:00
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The Jerusalem Post
Iranian Foreign Ministry rejects offer of eased sanctions in exchange for closure of underground nuclear bunker: "They want to take away the rights of a nation in exchange for allowing trade in gold." 2013-02-18 00:00:00
Dubai - Iran criticized on Monday a reported plan by major powers to demand the closure of a uranium enrichment plant in return for an easing of sanctions on Tehran's trade in gold and other precious metals, Iranian media reported. The Islamic Republic, which claims that its nuclear program is peaceful, started building the Fordow plant inside a mountain in secret as early as 2006, to protect it from air strikes. Last week Reuters reported world powers were planning to offer to ease sanctions barring trade in gold and other precious metals with Iran in return for steps to shut down the Fordow plant. On Monday Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesman for Iran's foreign ministry, suggested the reported offer was unacceptable. "Lately they have said 'Shut down Fordow, stop (uranium) enrichment, we will allow gold transactions'," Mehmanparast said, according to the Mehr news agency. "They want to take away the rights of a nation in exchange for allowing trade in gold." Western officials said last week the offer to ease sanctions barring gold and other precious metals trade with Iran would be presented at talks between Iran and world powers scheduled to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Feb. 26, acknowledging that it represented a relatively modest update to proposals that the six major powers made in talks last year. | |
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Leonard David
Focus is on pushing forward on an international response to the impact threat of asteroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs).NBC News 2013-02-17 12:48:00
The Russian fireball and the close flyby of the asteroid 2012 DA14 on Friday came at a moment in time when the United Nations is discussing international response to the near-Earth object impact concern. Detailed discussions about the Russian meteor explosion and Earth's encounter with asteroid 2012 DA14 were high on the Feb. 15 agenda of Action Team-14 during the 50th session of the Scientific and Technical Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), being held from Feb. 11 to 22 at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. The multi-year work of Action Team-14 (AT-14) is focused on pushing forward on an international response to the impact threat of asteroids and other near-Earth objects (NEOs). Up for discussion at the Vienna gathering is the report: "Near-Earth Objects, 2011-2012, Recommendations of the Action Team on Near-Earth Objects for an International Response to the Near-Earth Object Impact Threat." | |
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RT
2013-02-16 00:00:00
Fugitive ex-cop Christopher Dorner was killed by a single gunshot wound in his head, the San Bernardino County Sherriff's office reports, adding that it appears to have been self-inflicted. As the cabin where Dorner was hiding was going up in flames, deputies heard one final gunshot inside, San Bernardino County sheriff's Capt. Sheriff John McMahon told reporters on Friday. There is evidence that Dorner took his own life, McMahon said. "The information that we have right now seems to indicate that the wound that took Christopher Dorner's life was self-inflicted," he said. Earlier, authorities had confirmed that the human remains discovered in the burnt-out cabin belonged to Dorner, but were unsure whether he had burned to death, was killed by the police or committed suicide. The manhunt for Dorner began last week after authorities claimed he had launched a deadly revenge rampage against the LAPD over his allegedly illegal firing. Police have accused him of killing three, and had formally charged him with one murder. During the last days of the hunt, Dorner was hiding across the street from the search operation's command post. When discovered, he engaged in a deadly shootout with police, killing one deputy and injuring another. Dorner spent his final moments inside the cabin, engulfed in flames. By some reports, police prevented any escape attempt, shelling the house with heavy gunfire and stopping firefighters from putting the blaze out. Although police have claimed they did not "deliberately" burn the cabin to ashes, they admit that the projectiles used to force Dorner out could have caused the flames. | |
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RT
2013-02-17 00:00:00
The Israeli army has reportedly raided the house of a Palestinian detainee, Samer Issawi, arresting his brother. This comes in the wake of violent clashes during the recent rally in support of the man who had been hunger-striking for over 200 days. The Israeli Defense Forces have reportedly raided the house of Samer Issawi's family in the al-Issawiya neighborhood of East Jerusalem at around midnight GMT. Activists on twitter claimed that Issawi's brother Shadi had been arrested and released photos and video of the alleged incident So far, with no official comment on the raid, the reports could not be independently verified.
On Friday a major rally outside Ofer prison in the West Bank in support of prominent prisoner Samer Issawi ended with a violent fight between the Israeli military and Palestinian protesters. According to Israeli officials some 500 Palestinians attacked soldiers with rocks forcing them to respond with tear gas and rubber bullets. Two Israeli soldiers were slightly injured, the military said. Palestinian medics reported wounds sustained from rubber bullets and said dozens of people suffered gas inhalation. Also a number of people were reportedly injured in at least three separate clashes as violence spread across the West Bank. | ||
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France 24
2013-02-17 00:00:00
Baghdad - A series of car bombs exploded in dominantly Shiite neighbourhoods throughout Iraq's capital Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens others. A series of car bombs exploded in mainly Shi'ite neighbourhoods across the Iraqi capital Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 20 people and wounding dozens, police and hospital sources said. The bombs detonated in Sadr City, Habibiya, Qahira, and at least two other districts of the capital. Bombings have increased since the start of the year with a wave of suicide attacks against Shi'ite targets and security forces as Sunni Islamist insurgents step up their campaign to revive widespread sectarian violence in Iraq. A suicide bomber killed a top Iraqi army intelligence officer on Saturday after storming his home in a northern town and insurgents set off car bombs in Shi'ite areas across the country at the start of the month, killing 34 people. No-one claimed responsibility for the weekend attacks but Iraq's al Qaeda affiliate, Islamic State of Iraq, has vowed to take back ground its fighters lost in their long battle with American and Iraqi forces. Source: Reuters | |
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RT
2013-02-17 04:54:00
One of the most contaminated waste sites in America is leaking nuclear waste according to US officials. The Hanford Nuclear Reservation stores material from the production of atomic weapons, in tanks which have outlived their 20-year lifespan. The nuclear leak is the first confirmed case of this type since the federal government's introduction of a security program in 2005 to dispose of content from exposed single-shell tanks. On Friday, the US Department of Energy announced that one of Hanford 's 177 radioactive waste tanks is disposing up to 300 gallons per year. The leaks have come from Tank T-111, built between 1943 and 1944, now holding some 447,000 gallons of highly radioactive slurry left from plutonium production of nuclear arms. "The tank was classified as an assumed leaker in 1979," said the DOE. "In February, 1995, interim stabilization was completed for this tank. In order to achieve interim stabilization, the pumpable liquids were removed in accordance with agreements with the State of Washington." The governor of the state was outraged by the announcement. "I am alarmed about this on many levels," Washington's governor Jay Inslee said at a news conference. "This raises concerns, not only about the existing leak ... but also concerning the integrity of the other single shell tanks of this age." Other tanks on the site are now been examined and currently there is"no immediate public health risk," the governor said. | |
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Philip Pullella
Yahoo! Canada News 2013-02-16 00:00:00
The conclave to choose Pope Benedict's successor could start earlier than expected, giving the Roman Catholic Church a new leader by mid March, the Vatican said on Saturday. Less than two weeks away from a historic papal resignation, the Vatican also stressed again that the pope was not abandoning the Church in times of difficulties and urged the faithful to trust in God and in the next pope. Five days after Benedict announced his resignation in Latin to a small group of cardinals, the Vatican was still in a state of spiritual and bureaucratic shock, groping for ways to deal with a situation without precedent for at least six centuries. Some 117 cardinals under the age of 80 will be eligible to enter the secretive conclave to elect Benedict's successor. Church rules say the conclave has to start between 15-20 days after the papacy becomes vacant, which it will on February 28. But since the Church is now dealing with an announced resignation and not a sudden death, Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said the Vatican would be "interpreting" the law to see if it could start earlier. Cardinals around the world have already begun informal consultations by phone and email to construct a profile of the man they think would be best suited to lead the Church in a period of continuing crisis. | |
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The Australian
A bomb targeting Shiite Muslims in a busy market in Pakistan's insurgency-hit southwest killed 79 people including women and children and wounded 180 others. 2013-02-17 00:00:00
The powerful bomb in a water tanker ripped through a packed bazaar in Hazara town, an area dominated by Shiites on the outskirts of Quetta - capital of oil and gas rich Baluchistan province - at around 6pm local time yesterday. "We have recovered more dead bodies from the debris of a collapsed building. The death toll has now risen to 79,'' senior Quetta police official Wazir Khan Nasir said. Quetta city police chief Zubair Mehmood said the water tanker, which officials said was packed with some 800 kilograms of explosives, was placed near a pillar of a two-storey building, which collapsed in the blast. "We fear that several people have been trapped inside. Rescue work is ongoing but I see very little chance of their survival,'' Mr Mehmood said. Mr Nasir said the bombing ''was a sectarian attack, the Shiite community was the target''. A spokesman for the banned Sunni Muslim extremist group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi claimed responsibility for the bombing. | |
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Ben Swann
The body of Christopher Dorner has been identified by authorities searching through the remains of a California cabin.FOX19 2013-02-15 11:23:00 One of the big questions now emerging is whether law enforcement set fire to the cabin in which Dorner was hiding. Ben is investigating in a Reality Check you won't see anywhere else.
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Jim Finkle
Reuters 2013-02-14 06:48:00
The zombie attack alert issued on a handful of U.S. TV stations this week is more serious than a mischievous hacker prank say cyber experts, who warn the incident exposes lax security practices in a critical public safety system. While broadcasters said poor password security paved the way for the bogus warning, security experts said the equipment used by the Emergency Alert System remained vulnerable when stations allow it be accessed via the public Internet. The fear is that hackers could prevent the government from sending out public warnings during an emergency or attackers could conduct a more damaging hoax than a warning of a zombie apocalypse. "It isn't what they said. It is the fact that they got into the system. They could have caused some real damage," said Karole White, president of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters. | |
Comment: Indeed, the government's ability to activate the Emergency Alert System appears to working just fine... curiouser and curiouser.
See also: Update: 'Zombie Apocalypse' hoax broadcast on U.S. Emergency Alert System blamed on 'lax passwords' 'Zombie Apocalypse' hoax message on U.S. Emergency Alert System broadcast on 10 channels across 5 states | |
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| Society's Child |
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Tyler Durden
Zero 2013-02-18 15:40:00
Wal-Mart shares are plunging as the firm reports a 'total disaster' in its February sales.Bloomberg obtained internal emails that note: "In case you haven't seen a sales report these days, February MTD sales are a total disaster," Jerry Murray, Wal-Mart's vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. "The worst start to a month I have seen in my ~7 years with the company.... That points to our competitive landscape, which means everyone is suffering and probably worse than we are"It gets better: "We have to fight against the tougher economic environment to earn a bigger share of a smaller consumer spending pie"Obviously in WMT speak, "tougher" is what Obama would call "much better and rapidly improving." Things must not be serious over in Bentonville for this much truth to suddenly hit the tape. One senior executive summed it up perfectly - "Well, we just had one of those weeks here at Walmart U.S. Where are all the customers? And where's their money?" The company notes the end of the payroll tax cut by Obama and asks "We need to stop the stupid." | |
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Jason Kandel & Jane Yamamoto,
NBC Los Angeles 2013-02-18 15:47:00
Los Angeles County Coroner's officials on Sunday were examining a human skull and bones found at a burned makeshift backyard altar at the home of a woman who police said practices Santería. The discovery was made Sunday before 1 p.m. when the Pasadena Police Department responded to a report of a possible trespasser in the 800 block of North Oakland Avenue, police said. | |
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The Guardian
2013-02-18 06:40:00
Ecuador's president Rafael Correa has been elected to a third term in power. The leftwing incumbent, who first took office in 2007 and was re-elected in 2009, won 58% of the vote, well ahead of his closest challenger, former banker Guillermo Lasso, with 24%. A beaming Correa appeared on state TV hugging jubilant supporters at the Carondelet presidential palace less than an hour after polls closed. "This victory is yours. It belongs to our families, to our wife, to our friends, our neighbours, the entire nation," Correa said. "We are only here to serve you. Nothing for us. Everything for you, a people who have become dignified in being free." | |
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RT
2013-02-17 00:00:00
Scientists have confirmed the extra-terrestrial origin of dozens of tiny fragments found near Chebarkul Lake in Russia's Chelyabinsk region. Local opportunists meanwhile began selling alleged pieces of the space rock in a bid to make a quick fortune. "We have just finished the research and confirm that the fragments found by our expedition in the area of Chebarkul Lake are meteorite by nature," Viktor Grohovsky of the Ural Federal University told RIA. The space object exploded into at least seven large pieces and hundreds of small ones, researchers claimed. One of the big fragments fell into the Chebarkul Lake, and is believed to have formed an ice-hole 8 meters in diameter. The team was not allowed to inspect the ice crater itself, but around the hole scientists collected several dozens small fragments of the rock about 0.5 - 1 centimeter in diameters which were sent for examination. So far the researchers were able to confirm the samples' celestial origin out of the 53 small particles sampled. "This is a stone meteorite, an ordinary chondrite. We have diagnosed all the common minerals found there- the metallic iron, and olivine, and sulfite," Grohovsky elaborated. The scientists at the "Nanotech" center evaluated that over eight percent of the mass of the examined samples consisted of these metals.
The researchers aim to conduct further analysis before registering "Chebarkul Meteorite" in the international catalogue. Earlier, a team of Emergency Ministry divers have examined the floor bed of the lake in search of the meteorite, but were unable to find anything resembling a big fragment of the rock, which is now rumored to further break-up upon impact. Meanwhile, residents of the region are still speculating about the incident and putting forward their own theories on what really happened, RT producer Lida Vasilevskaya reported from Chelyabinsk. "No, it definitely wasn't a meteor. I don't know what it was, but not that," one local stated. "It was a stage for a missile. For sure!" another claimed. A rock estimated to weigh around 7,000 tons and be traveling at 40,000mph exploded over the Urals Mountains on Friday, scattering debris for miles and injuring some 1,240 people, including 299 children. | ||
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Andrew Cawthorne and Deisy Buitrago
Yahoo! Canada News 2013-02-18 00:00:00
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made a surprise return from Cuba on Monday more than two months after surgery for cancer that has jeopardized his 14-year rule of the South American OPEC member. The 58-year-old socialist leader underwent a six-hour operation in Cuba on December 11. He had not been seen or heard in public since then until photos were published of him on Friday. "We have arrived back in the Venezuelan fatherland. Thanks, my God! Thanks, my beloved people! Here we will continue the treatment," Chavez said via Twitter after flying in. There had been speculation Chavez was unwell enough to travel despite wanting to return for continued treatment for the disease he was first diagnosed with in mid-2011. | |
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Yahoo! Canada News
2013-02-17 00:00:00
Thousands of people have gathered in Washington today to urge U.S. President Barack Obama to make good on his recent promises to combat climate change. TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline project is the rally's most popular whipping boy. Organizers are billing the protest, held at the foot of the Washington Monument, as the biggest climate protest in American history. Protesters formed a human pipeline and many waved signs and chanted slogans against Keystone XL. Thousands have spilled onto the National Mall despite chilly temperatures and brisk winds. Among them: Canadian tribal leaders, movie stars, Americans with ties to Canada and even a group of nuns. Speakers included prominent environmentalists like Bill McKibben, head of 350.org, who was arrested last week at a similar protest outside the White House. The U.S. government is reviewing the Keystone proposal, which would ship bitumen from Alberta to the U.S. gulf coast. Source: The Canadian Press | |
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Alex Gore
Daily Mail, UK 2013-02-15 00:00:00
Edith Casas, 22, wed Victor Cingolani yesterday in a ceremony taking place less than a year into the groom's 13-year sentence for the murder of model Johana Casas. The bride was pelted with stones and eggs as she emerged from the register office, while her husband, disguised in sunglasses and a beret, was rushed out of the back door to his cell. The couple married in Pico Truncade in southern Argentina, the same city where Johana was shot twice in the head days before her 20th birthday in July 2010. Her body was found on the outskirts of the city, which lies around 1,200 miles from the capital Buenos Aires, and Cingolani, an ex-boyfriend, was convicted of murder in June last year. | |
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CBS Boston
2013-02-16 08:26:00
Milford - An alleged shoplifter was hit with a stun gun as he tried to escape from Target in Milford, according to police. Milford Patch reports that man, identified as Michael Pete Harding, 50, of Grafton was trying to swipe a shopping cart full of items that included several cases of Red Bull, Tide detergent, and packages of Justin Bieber valentines. Police believe he planned to resell the items. While Harding was in the store, Target's store security recognized him as having shoplifted from the store in the past, so they called police. An officer was waiting for him as he tried to run out the doors. "He pushed the cart at me and then ran off to my left," the officer told the Patch. The officer was able to chase down Harding. Harding allegedly tried to punch the officer, and was hit with a stun gun in response. He's charged with larceny over $250 and resisting arrest. | |
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CTV News
2013-02-16 03:26:00
Canada, Quebec - A 16-year-old Ottawa boy was interrogated Saturday night about his potential involvement with a home invasion and kidnapping of a senior couple at gunpoint in west Quebec overnight. Quebec Provincial Police said two male suspects forced the couple out of their cottage in Bouchette, QC, near Maniwaki and used the couple's car to drive them to a barn in L'Isle-aux-Allumettes, near Pembroke. The barn was more than two hours away from the couple's cottage. Police said the suspects then tied the couple up. Police said both suspects wore a scarf around their face and one of them had a handgun. Both suspects spoke English, according to police. Police said the couple managed to untie themselves and escape from the barn when the suspects fled. They then flagged down a passing motorist who contacted police. | |
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ABC News
2013-02-17 00:00:00
A Kansas City-area man was arrested Saturday in the killings of two prostitutes whose bodies were found posed on the sides of rural Missouri roads nearly a year apart. At a news conference Saturday night, authorities said Derek Richardson, 27, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of abandonment of a corpse. His bail is set at $2 million. It wasn't immediately known whether he has an attorney. "We absolutely stopped a person who was going to kill again," said Kansas City police Sgt. Doug Niemeier, adding that authorities will search across the United States to ensure there weren't other victims. "We do know that he had travels elsewhere," Niemeier said, "so we will be contacting those states just to make sure." Police announced earlier this month that the deaths of Tamara Sparks and Nicoleone Reed were linked and asked the public for help. Police said they believed whoever was responsible for the deaths also was the person who lost a size 11, canvas, Crocs-brand shoe at the site where Sparks' body was found. | |
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ABC News
2013-02-16 20:38:00
Bryan, Texas - Two Texas fire lieutenants have died of burns after battling a lodge hall fire, a city official said Saturday. Gregory Pickard and Eric Wallace, both with the department in the Central Texas city of Bryan, were in a group of firefighters responding to the blaze about midnight Friday at a Knights of Columbus hall, city spokeswoman Mary Lynne Stratta said. The team entered the burning building but didn't emerge when ordered to evacuate, Stratta said. Wallace, 36, died at the scene and Pickard, 54, on Saturday at a hospital in Galveston, she said. "He called for help, said he was low on air," Stratta said of Wallace, a 13-year Bryan Fire Department veteran. | |
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Los Angeles Times
2013-02-16 04:44:00
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters downtown Saturday afternoon, holding signs of support for Christopher Dorner, the fired police officer suspected of killing four people. Those gathered said they were protesting police corruption and the way the massive manhunt for Dorner was conducted. Authorities said Dorner appears to have died from a self-inflected gunshot wound after a shootout with police in Big Bear on Tuesday, ending a deadly rampage that stretched across Southern California. Protesters said they believed Dorner's claims that he was unfairly fired from the department in 2009 - grievances described in a lengthy online manifesto that has been attributed to him. Dorner also claimed that he was the victim of racism. Protesters also said they were appalled by police mistakenly shooting at passengers in two separate trucks in Torrance, wrongly believing Dorner might be in the vehicles. One woman was shot in the back and is still recovering. The protesters emphasized that they did not condone the killings of which Dorner is accused. Michael Nam, 30, stood at the corner of 1st and Main Streets with a sign, painted by his girlfriend, showing a tombstone and the words "RIP Habeas Corpus." The tombstone was engulfed in flames. | |
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Michael Liedtke
Yahoo! News 2013-02-15 06:42:00
Facebook is getting an unwelcome look at the shady side of the hacking culture that CEO Mark Zuckerberg celebrates. Intruders recently infiltrated the systems running the world's largest online social network but did not steal any sensitive information about Facebook's more than 1 billion users, according to a blog posting Friday by the company's security team. The unsettling revelation is the latest breach to expose the digital cracks in a society and an economy that is storing an ever-growing volume of personal and business data online. The news didn't seem to faze investors. Facebook Inc.'s stock dipped 10 cents to $28.22 in Friday's extended trading. The main building at Facebook's Menlo Park, California, headquarters lists its address as 1 Hacker Way. From there, Facebook serves as the gatekeeper for billions of potentially embarrassing photos and messages that get posted each month. This time, at least, that material didn't get swept up in the digital break-in that Facebook said it discovered last month. The company didn't say why it waited until the afternoon before a holiday weekend to inform its users about the hack. It was a sophisticated attack that also hit other companies, according to Facebook, which didn't identify the targets. "As part of our ongoing investigation, we are working continuously and closely with our own internal engineering teams, with security teams at other companies, and with law enforcement authorities to learn everything we can about the attack, and how to prevent similar incidents in the future," Facebook wrote on the blog. | |
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CBC News
2013-02-16 00:00:00
Canada, Edmonton - Hundreds of people watched as a small white casket, adorned with roses, was carried into a central Edmonton parish Saturday morning - a final farewell to 7-year-old Omar Jajoy. "Omar was ...a very happy kid and a joy for his family," said Max Caravantas, a family friend. "The service was very touching. We all felt, you know, what the family felt today. It's a tragedy for our community and a tragedy for the Jajoy family as well." Omar's body was found in a south Edmonton apartment Tuesday morning. The cause of death has not been released, but it is believed he drowned. Friends at the funeral described him as a friendly boy who enjoyed playing soccer and video games. His mother, Nerlin Sarmiento, who is charged with first-degree murder in his death, was not at his service. | |
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CBC News
2013-02-16 09:54:00
The RCMP is questioning the oft-cited claim by an aboriginal group and some federal politicians that about 600 aboriginal women have gone missing or been murdered in Canada. On today's edition of CBC Radio's The House, host Evan Solomon says that when he contacted the RCMP to confirm that there are 580 cases of aboriginal women who were either missing or killed in the country, the force said it wasn't aware of about 500 of them. The question of exactly how many aboriginal women are missing or killed in Canada comes during a week that included the Annual Day of Justice for Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women on Friday, and a debate in the House of Commons that included a Liberal proposal to strike a special committee to investigate the issue. This week also saw a report from New York-based Human Rights Watch that accused the RCMP in British Columbia of abusive acts, including rape, against aboriginal women. | |
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| Secret History |
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People's Daily China
2013-02-17 19:07:00
Taklimakan is the largest desert in the country. Measuring 330,000 square kilometers, it's a scene of endless sand. But buried under this vast desert are relics of the Silk Road, one of the greatest commercial routes in history that linked the east and west. 117 years ago, in 1896, Swedish explorer Sven Hedin made a surprising discovery at the oasis town of Dandan Oilik, in the heart of the Taklimakan Desert. Zhang Yuzhong, former deputy director of Xinjiang Archeology Research Institute, said, "In the past, experts in China and abroad had believed there was no trace of humans in the desert. But Sven Hedin found many remains of houses. Then Aurel Stein, another explorer known as a pioneer of the Silk Road, stayed there for two weeks, and found the remains of another 18 residential houses and identified some temples. He also found documents from the Tang and Han dynasties. In 1900, Hedin once again visited the Taklimakan. In this expedition, he found the ruins of the ancient city Loulan, buried under the sand. | |
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| Science & Technology |
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Paul Parsons
New Scientist 2009-02-11 17:00:00
Swathes of dark comets may be prowling the solar system, posing a deadly threat to Earth. Hazardous comets and asteroids are monitored by various space agencies under an umbrella effort known as Spaceguard. The vast majority of objects found so far are rocky asteroids. Yet UK-based astronomers Bill Napier at Cardiff University and David Asher at Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland claim that many comets could be going undetected. "There is a case to be made that dark, dormant comets are a significant but largely unseen hazard," says Napier. In previous work, Napier and Janaki Wickramasinghe, also at Cardiff, have suggested that when the solar system periodically passes through the galactic plane, it nudges comets in our direction (New Scientist, 19 April 2008, p 10). These periodic comet showers appear to correlate with the dates of ancient impact craters found on Earth, which would suggest that most impactors in the past were comets, not asteroids. Now Napier and Asher warn that some of these comets may still be zipping around the solar system. Other observations support their case. The rate that bright comets enter the solar system implies there should be around 3000 of them buzzing around, and yet only 25 are known. | |
Comment: For more on comets and very close calls, see here.
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SpaceWeather
Comet Pan-STARRS (C/2011 L4), widely expected to become a naked-eye object in early March, is now closer to the sun than Venus. Solar heating is vaporizing the comet's icy core and creating a wide, fan-shaped tail visible through binoculars in the southern hemisphere. Ignacio Diaz Bobillo sends this picture from Buenos Aires, Argentina:2013-02-18 14:06:00
"I saw Comet Pan-STARRS just before daybreak in the constellation Grus," says Bobillo. "This is what it looked like through a small telescope, imaged with an exposure time of 8x2 minutes." In early March, Comet Pan-STARRS will make its closest approach to the sun inside the orbit of Mercury; at that time it could brighten to easy naked-eye visibility. No one knows exactly what will happen, however, because it is a fresh comet being exposed to solar heating for the first time. Experts discuss the possibilities in this video from Science@NASA. | |
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Clara Moskowitz
LiveScience 2013-02-18 12:41:00
Boston - Big news in the search for dark matter may be coming in about two weeks, the leader of a space-based particle physics experiment said today (Feb. 17) here at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. That's when the first paper of results from the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, a particle collector mounted on the outside of the International Space Station, will be submitted to a scientific journal, said MIT physicist Samuel Ting, AMS principle investigator. Though Ting was coy about just what, exactly, the experiment has found, he said the results bear on the mystery of dark matter, the invisible stuff thought to outnumber regular matter in the universe by a factor of about six to one. "It will not be a minor paper," Ting said, hinting that the findings were important enough that the scientists rewrote the paper 30 times before they were satisfied with it. Still, he said, it represents a "small step" in figuring out what dark matter is, and perhaps not the final answer. | |
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Isabelle Boscaro-Clarke
Diamond Light Source 2013-02-17 12:11:00
The UK's national synchrotron facility, Diamond Light Source, is now the first and only place in Europe where pathogens requiring Containment Level 3 - including serious viruses such as those responsible for AIDS, Hepatitis and some types of flu - can be analysed at atomic and molecular level using synchrotron light. This special light allows scientists to study virus structures at intense levels of detail and this new facility extends that capability to many viruses that have a major global impact on human and animal health. Studying pathogens in this way has the potential to open up new paths for the development of therapeutic treatments and vaccines. Presenting at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS 2013) in Boston on the latest virus work undertaken at Diamond, Prof Dave Stuart - Life Sciences Director at Diamond Light Source and Professor of Structural Biology at Oxford University - launches the new lab, Crystal, which will help scientists delve into the inner workings of pathogens and uncover the mechanisms of infection. Prof. Stuart comments: "Crystal provides unique facilities in Europe for the study of serious viruses. Nowhere in the world can structures be so readily solved with the speed and efficiency that is now available at Diamond. As such, we anticipate interest from a number of groups in the UK, including the Particle Imaging Centre in Oxford, which provides a suite of contained laboratories including a crystallisation laboratory, to support the preparation of sample prior to study at Diamond. This is great news for the UK research community, as the facility will be a resource with the potential to provide new pathways for treatment." | |
Comment: Interesting that viruses are taken so seriously. On the other hand, despite the high tech, protection might come only through what you eat. For more information see On viral 'junk' DNA, a DNA-enhancing Ketogenic diet, and cometary kicks.
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Greg Lester
The Wistar Institute 2013-02-17 12:05:00
Long segments of RNA - encoded in our DNA but not translated into protein - are key to physically manipulating DNA in order to activate certain genes, say researchers at The Wistar Institute. These non-coding RNA-activators (ncRNA-a) have a crucial role in turning genes on and off during early embryonic development, researchers say, and have also been connected with diseases, including some cancers, in adults. In an online article of the journal Nature, a team of scientists led by Wistar's Ramin Shiekhattar, Ph.D., detail the mechanism by which long non-coding RNA-activators promote gene expression. They show how these RNA molecules help proteins in the cell to create a loop of DNA in order to open up genes for transcription. Their experiments have also described how particular ncRNA-a molecules are related to FG syndrome, a genetic disease linked to severe neurological and physical deficits. "These ncRNA-activators can activate specific genes by working with large protein complexes, filling in a big piece of the puzzle," said Shiekhattar, Herbert Kean, M.D., Family Professor and senior author of the study. "Our DNA encodes thousands of these ncRNA-activators, each with a role in timing the expression of a specific gene. As we learn more about non-coding RNA, I believe we will have a profoundly better understanding of how our genes function." | |
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David Leonard
Space.com 2013-02-18 00:00:00
Piecing together the true nature of the meteor that detonated over Russia would benefit by observations likely gleaned by U.S. military spacecraft. But for several years, that data has been stamped classified and not made available to the scientific community that study near-Earth objects (NEOs) and any potential hazard to Earth from these celestial interlopers. In the wake of the Russian meteor explosion, there is a renewed call to make data gathered by both space systems and ground networks speedily available to scientists. | |
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Robin McKie
The Guardian, UK 2013-02-16 00:00:00
The extraterrestrial double whammy that Earth only partially avoided on Friday has triggered an immediate response from astronomers. Several have announced plans to create state-of-the-art detection systems to give warning of incoming asteroids and meteoroids. These include projects backed by Nasa as well as proposals put forward by private space contractors. In each case, scientists want to develop techniques that can pinpoint relatively small but still potentially devastating meteoroids, comets and asteroids that threaten to strike Earth. These would give notice of impact of several days or possibly weeks and allow threatened areas to be evacuated. The announcements of the various plans follow Friday's meteorite crash that caused devastation in Chelyabinsk, Russia. On the same day, a 150ft-diameter asteroid swept to within 17,000 miles of Earth. The fact that the two events happened together has been dismissed as "a cosmic coincidence" by scientists. Nevertheless, astronomers - many gathered at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in Boston this weekend - have been quick to reassure the public that they have plans to provide better warnings of future impacts. "The hundreds of people injured in Russia show it is time to take action and no longer be passive about these events," said Rick Tumlinson, chairman of the US company Deep Space Industries. His company is preparing to launch a series of small spacecraft later this decade. These are aimed at surveying nearby asteroids to see if they can be mined for metals and ores. However the fleet could also be used to monitor small, difficult-to-detect objects that threaten to strike Earth. Deep Space Industries - which is based in McLean, Virginia - proposes building 10 spacecraft at a cost of $100m (£65m) over the next four years, though it has not indicated who will fund missions. | |
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Simon Rogers
Or at least those we know about. And where are the known meteorite landing places on earth? These impact zones show where scientists have found meteorites, or the impact craters of meteorites, some dating back as far as the year 2,300BC. The data is from the US Meteorological Society and doesn't show those places where meteorites may have fallen but not been discovered.The Guardian 2013-02-15 06:34:00
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Comment: Note the falls appear to concentrate over populated areas. While this could be explained by saying that naturally more meteorites will be found in areas where there are more people, we have to wonder if masses of people can act as some sort of 'attractor' for these things...
To find out more, check out Comets and the Horns of Moses. | |
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Mike Wall
Yahoo! Canada News 2013-02-16 00:00:00
The world will have to live with surprise asteroid attacks on the scale of Friday's Russian fireball, at least for a while. The meteor that exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk without warning Friday (Feb. 15), damaging hundreds of buildings and wounding more than 1,000 people, was caused by a space rock about 50 feet (15 meters) wide, researchers said. Asteroids of this size are both difficult to detect and incredibly numerous, so it will take a long time for astronomers to find and map out the orbits of all the potentially dangerous ones. Besides, researchers have bigger fish to fry. "Defending the Earth against tiny asteroids such as the one that passed over Siberia and impacted there is a challenging issue that is something that is not currently our goal," Paul Chodas, a scientist with the Near Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., told reporters Friday (Feb. 15). "We are focusing on the larger asteroids first," Chodas added. "They are the ones that are the most hazardous." | |
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RedOrbit
2013-02-17 12:38:00
A massive asteroid that crashed into Earth left behind a large impact crater in Australia and changed the entire landscape of the planet, scientists from the Australian National University (ANU) and University of Queensland claim in a recently-published study. According to Stuart Gary of ABC News in Australia, the impact zone is centered in the East Warburton Basin in the northeastern part of South Australia. It was created by an asteroid believed to be more than twelve miles (20 km) wide that crashed into the planet sometime between 360 million and 298 million years ago, the authors reported in the latest edition of the journal Tectonophysics. | |
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Deborah Byrd
EarthSky Org 2013-02-17 12:23:00
VegaStar Carpentier in Paris passed along this artist's impression of 50000 Quaoar, a small rocky world with its own moon, located in the outer solar system. It's massive enough to be considered a dwarf planet - much as Pluto is now considered a dwarf planet - under new guidelines from the International Astronomical Union (IAU). But the IAU hasn't recognized Quaoar as a dwarf planet, yet. VegaStar wrote: What is Quaoar? Michael Brown and Chadwick Trujillo of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena discovered this object in 2002. It is extremely faint as seen from Earth, but they used the large Palomar 48-inch telescope to notice it creeping in front of the star background. Its motion in front of the stars showed that it is closer to us than the stars, a member of our own solar system. From the first, Quaoar appeared relatively bright for such a distant object, but it was too small for even large telescopes to see in any detail. | |
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Ernesto Guido & Nick Howes
Asteroid 2012 DA14 had a close approach with Earth at 1925 UT on 2013 Feb. 15. at about 0.09 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.0002 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers). For more info about this asteroid and its close approach see our previous post.Remanzacco Observatory 2013-02-16 12:36:00 Below you can find a selection (in chronological order) of our images & animations taken before, during and after the close approach. Image of 2012 DA14 taken remotely from Australia on February 15, 2013 at 17:40UT. Exposure time 5 seconds with a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer from Q62 (iTelescope Observatory, Siding Spring). The asteroid was then of magnitude ~9.5 and moving at ~1140 "/min and less than 2 hours before its close approach of 19:25UT.
Here you can see a short animation made by using 3x5-second exposures. | |
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| Earth Changes |
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US Geological Survey
2013-02-18 12:30:00
Event Time 2013-02-18 12:19:19 UTC 2013-02-18 00:19:19 UTC-12:00 at epicenter Location 30.682°S 178.127°W depth=34.1km (21.2mi) Nearby Cities 111km (69mi) NE of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand 898km (558mi) NE of Whangarei, New Zealand 923km (574mi) NNE of Whakatane, New Zealand 937km (582mi) NE of Tauranga, New Zealand 1097km (682mi) SSW of Nuku'alofa, TongaTechnical Details | |
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The National
2013-02-18 09:39:00
Halifax - Thousands of people on the East Coast lost power and school was cancelled in Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick after blasts of winter wind and wet snow swept through the region. Nova Scotia Power reported about 12,000 outages by 8 a.m. local time. In New Brunswick, NB Power issued a news release saying that at least 6,000 customers had lost power in the Fredericton, Rothesay and St. Stephen areas, with more people expected to report the loss of electricity as the morning went on. "The storm has certainly created significant damage including broken poles and large trees on lines," wrote Meghan Gerrish, a spokeswoman for NB Power. | |
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Boston.com
2013-02-17 00:00:00
Boston - Heavy snow and strong winds may blow across the Northeastern coast Sunday and drop as much as 10 inches on parts of the region still buried by last week's storm. A winter storm warning is in effect for the Boston area, where the National Weather Service said 4 to 8 inches of snow could fall by Sunday night. Snow up to 8 inches also is forecast for Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. Strong winds are expected to accompany the snow, gusting up to 55 mph. The weather service said that by evening, temperatures with the wind chill could feel like minus 1. Early Sunday, New York officials issued a high-wind warning for the Tappan Zee Bridge, reducing the speed limit to 35 mph and prohibiting empty trailers and motorcycles on the bridge. All trucks, trailers, and buses were advised to consider an alternate route. | |
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US Geological Survey
2013-02-16 19:22:00
Event Time 2013-02-16 21:16:12 UTC 2013-02-16 22:16:12 UTC+01:00 at epicenter Location 41.774°N 13.582°E depth=28.3km (17.6mi) Nearby Cities 3km (2mi) SSE of Balsorano Vecchio, Italy 6km (4mi) NNW of Sora, Italy 9km (6mi) N of Isola del Liri, Italy 15km (9mi) NNE of Monte San Giovanni Campano, Italy 92km (57mi) E of Roma, Italy | |
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Fox News
2013-02-16 00:00:00
Italy - A strong earthquake has rocked a rural area about 50 miles southeast of Rome, but authorities say reports from residents indicate no damage or injuries. Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology said the quake struck about 10:20 p.m., local time, Saturday and had a 4.8 magnitude. Seismologists pinpointed the epicenter near the town of Sora, about 20 kilometers (13 miles) from Frosinone, the largely rural area's biggest town. Frosinone fireman Bruno Levanti told Sky TG24 TV that many residents called authorities seeking reassurances but that there were no reports of damage or injuries. The area is earthquake-prone. A somewhat stronger 5.0 magnitude quake can do considerable damage. Source: The Associated Press | |
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Sarah Grieco
NBC Bay Area 2013-02-16 07:05:00
Antonio Ramirez who was aboard a Hornblower Cruise on Thursday snapped this photo of the dolphins swimming in a "super mega-pod." Thousands of dolphins spanning across 7 miles of ocean were sighted off the coast of San Diego on Thursday, a boat captain told NBC 7 San Diego. Capt. Joe Dutra of Hornblower Cruises said he saw a "super mega-pod" of common dolphins Thursday around noon while he was on his daily tour. He said the pod was more than 7 miles long and 5 miles wide. Dutra said the boat tour followed the pod for more than an hour and said he's never seen anything like it. "When you see something that is honestly truly beyond belief," the captain said. | |
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CBS4
2013-02-14 21:40:00
Denver - It's a problem that plagues passengers who park at Denver International Airport- bunnies are causing hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars in damage to cars. The rabbits eat the wires under the hood. The USDA Wildlife Service is removing at least 100 bunnies every month but the problem persists. "I see at least dozens every morning. They go hide under the cars and the cars are warm," said airport shuttle driver Michelle Anderson. "They like to chew on the insulator portion of the ignition cables. That's what we see," said Arapahoe Autotek spokesman Wiley Faris. Faris said rabbit damage is a common problem. The suspects are easily identified by the fur and pellets left behind. "That wiring harness has all the wiring for the car so it can run from the hundreds into the thousands depending on where the harness is damaged," said Faris. | |
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US Geological Survey
2013-02-16 00:36:00
Event Time 2013-02-16 05:16:18 UTC 2013-02-16 17:16:18 UTC+12:00 at epicenter Location 36.130°S 178.045°E depth=204.5km (127.1mi) Nearby Cities 219km (136mi) ENE of Tairua, New Zealand 223km (139mi) NNE of Whakatane, New Zealand 240km (149mi) NE of Tauranga, New Zealand 274km (170mi) NE of Rotorua, New Zealand 639km (397mi) NNE of Wellington, New Zealand Technical Details | |
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US Geological Survey
2013-02-16 00:35:00
Event Time 2013-02-16 04:37:36 UTC 2013-02-16 12:37:36 UTC+08:00 at epicenter Location 5.759°N 125.838°E depth=98.2km (61.0mi) Nearby Cities 28km (17mi) SE of Caburan, Philippines 65km (40mi) ESE of Malapatan, Philippines 68km (42mi) ESE of Lun Pequeno, Philippines 70km (43mi) E of Glan, Philippines 971km (603mi) W of Koror Town, Palau Technical Details | |
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Digtriad.com
2013-02-13 22:15:00
Late Tuesday afternoon dozens of concerned neighbors called Hamblen County 911 to report the earth shaking and the sound of a large blast. At first the the US Geological Survey reported there was no earthquake in the area. That prompted local emergency management officials to spend Wednesday looking at other options. 10News spoke with TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation) who ruled out fracking or quarry activity. Then, we checked with the University of Memphis Center for Earthquake Research and Information, sponsored by the USGS. Geologist Gary Patterson went and pulled the records from sensors on Tuesday and says he could see activity consistent with an earthquake or quarry blasting. Emergency Managment Agency Director Chris Bell says there was no licensed blasting in the Hamblen County area on Tuesday. | |
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| Fire in the Sky |
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Shane McGlaun
It's strange enough that so many people were able to capture video of the meteorite that streaked over Russia on Friday exploding over populated areas causing injury and large amounts of damage. We knew as of Friday that the meteorite had exploded with enough force to knock glass windows out of many buildings in the cold Siberian portion of Russia.Slash Gear 2013-02-18 15:43:00
Today we have more reports of damage caused by the meteor explosion and they are as bizarre as some of the damage reports from tornadoes we've heard over the years. For instance, in the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia some high-rise buildings had the glass blown out of every window on the top floor while other buildings had only the glass from the bottom floor destroyed. Even that's not the most bizarre report of damage caused by meteor. | |
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lunarmeteoritehunters.
2013-02-18 05:40:00
17 February 2013 - Alexander Valdes, Miramar, Florida @ 19:20 EST 17 February 2013 - Karina Harfouche, Boca Raton, Florida @ 18:55 EST 17 February 2013 - Jank Foster, Palm Harbor, Florida @ 7:20pm | |
Comment: There have been at least 15 significant fireball events so far in February 2013...
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Mother Nature Network
Despite feverish speculation from doomsayers, the near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14 won't slam into our planet next year, NASA researchers say.2012-03-07 12:24:00 The asteroid, which astronomers estimate to be about 150 feet (45 meters) across, will give Earth an uncomfortably close shave on Feb. 15, 2013, coming nearer to our planet than the satellites we've lofted to geostationary orbit. But 2012 DA14 poses no real impact danger on that pass, according to NASA scientists.
"Its orbit about the sun can bring it no closer to the Earth's surface than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15, 2013," researchers with the Near-Earth Object Program Office, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., wrote in an update on March 6. One Earth radius is roughly 3,963 miles (6,378 kilometers) at the equator. So by this reckoning, the nearest 2012 DA14 can get to us next year is 12,680 miles (20,406 km). | |
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Juan Ortega
South Floridians who happened to be looking in the right place at the right time Sunday night saw one spectacular light show - possibly a meteor shower.NBC Miami 2013-02-17 19:30:00 The Coast Guard began getting flooded with phone calls about 7:30 p.m., with reports of folks seeing flare-like objects from Jacksonville to Key West, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Laberdesque. People called in, describing the flares "as orange or red fireballs in the sky," Laberdesque said. The display was limited to the sky: No injuries were reported, Laberdesque said. The Coast Guard found that the flares were disappearing in an instant. The Coast Guard sent out a helicopter to check out a report of a flare near the MacArthur Causeway, but found nothing there, Laberdesque said. |
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Becky Oskin
OurAmazingPlanet 2013-02-17 08:25:00
The shock wave from Friday's (Feb. 15) meteor explosion above Russia sent subsonic waves through the atmosphere halfway around the world. Up to 11 sensors in Greenland, Africa, Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula and other far-flung regions detected the Russian meteor blast's infrasound, or low-frequency sound waves. The sensors are part of the global network of 60 infrasound stations maintained by the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO). Infrasound's long wavelengths (about 20 to 0.01 Hertz) can travel far distances in the atmosphere, at frequencies humans can't hear. Elephants, whales and even pigeons use infrasound for communication and navigation, scientists have discovered. The CTBTO relies on Infrasound arrays to help determine the location and size of atmospheric explosions. Man-made explosions, such as bombs, produce a different infrasound pattern than natural fireballs like shattering meteors. | |
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Heidi Hammel
We have the technology to provide warning about these potential disastersThe Planetary Society 2013-02-17 10:00:00 What we know (subject to change as more information comes in): At 9:20 a.m. local time in Russia, videos show an impactor coming in from the North. Asteroid 2012 DA14 is approaching Earth from the South. These two events are not related. The body is estimated to have been 15 meters across and weighed roughly 8 tons 8000 tons. The resulting airburst would have the equivalent yield of a 1-10 megaton 500 kiloton explosion. Note that these are very rough and extremely preliminary estimates.
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Comment: The problem isn't a lack of technology; the problem is that our leaders have chosen to ignore the problem.
From Letters From The Edge: | |
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The Province
Cuba apparently experienced a phenomenon similar to the meteorite that detonated over Russia this week, island media reported, with startled residents describing a bright light in the sky and a loud explosion that shook windows and walls.2013-02-16 06:57:00 There were no reports of any injuries or damage such as those caused by the Russia meteorite, which sent out shockwaves that hurt some 1,200 people and shattered countless windows. In a video from a state TV newscast posted on the website CubaSi late Friday, unidentified residents of the central city of Rodas, near Cienfuegos, said the explosion was impressive. "On Tuesday we left home to fish around five in the afternoon, and around 8:00 we saw a light in the heavens and then a big ball of fire, bigger than the sun," one local man said in the video. "My home shook completely," said a woman. "I had never heard such a strange thing."
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Comment: Yes, they're so rare that on the same day two of them can hit opposite sides of the globe while a third one performs 'the closet fly-by ever' of such an object...
Sarcasm aside, it's clear that authorities around the world have no clue what they are dealing with here. | |
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Tariq Malik
The meteor that exploded over Russia Friday was slightly larger than previously thought and more powerful, too, NASA scientists say. The Russian meteor explosion over the city of Chelyabinsk, on Friday (Feb. 15), injured more than 1,000 people and blew out windows across the region in a massive blast captured on cameras by frightened witnesses. Friday afternoon, NASA scientists estimated the meteor was space rock about 50 feet (15 meters) and sparked a blast equivalent of a 300-kiloton explosion. The energy estimate was later increased to 470 kilotons.SPACE.com / Yahoo News 2013-02-16 19:01:00
But late Friday, NASA revised its estimates on the size and power of the devastating meteor explosion. The meteor's size is now thought to be slightly larger - about 55 feet (17 m) wide - with the power of the blast estimate of about 500 kilotons, 30 kilotons higher than before, NASA officials said in a statement. [See video of the intense meteor explosion] The meteor was also substantially more massive than thought as well. Initial estimated pegged the space rock's mass at about 7,000 tons. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., now say the meteor weighed about 10,000 tons and was travelling 40,000 mph (64,373 km/h) when it exploded. "These new estimates were generated using new data that had been collected by five additional infrasound stations located around the world - the first recording of the event being in Alaska, over 6,500 kilometers away from Chelyabinsk," JPL officials explained in the statement. The infrasound stations detect low-frequency sound waves that accompany exploding meteors, known as bolides. | |
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lunarmeteoritehunters.
2013-02-15 06:04:00
15 February 2013 - David Reis, Redwood City, CA @ 19:45 PST 15 February 2013 - Christine Grau, Roseville, CA @ 19:44 PST 15 February 2013 - Alex, Santa Rosa, CA @ 7:43 PST
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Comment: Fireball lights up early morning sky from Nevada to California, 17 January 2013
Bright fireball wows Californians, 27 December 2012 Fireball "bright as the moon" seen across California and Nevada, 24 November 2012 Fragmentation and Sonics! Northern California Fireball Meteor +19'42 PDT 17OCT2012 - Unrelated to the Orionids | ||
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Sheila Martin
YouTube 2013-02-16 02:16:00
Source: SonotaCo.JP | |
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Shanghai Daily
An object fell from the sky over central Cuba on Thursday night and turned into a fireball "bigger than the sun" before it exploded, a Cuban TV channel reported Friday, citing eyewitnesses.2013-02-16 01:28:00 Some residents in the central province of Cienfuegos were quoted as saying that at around 8 p.m. local time Thursday (0100 GMT Friday) they saw a bright spot in the sky comparable to a bus in size. The object then turned into a fireball "bigger than the sun," said the witnesses, adding that several minutes later they heard a loud explosion. One resident told the TV station that his house shook slightly in the blast. Cuban experts have been dispatched to the area to look for possible remains of the meteor-like object, said the report. It remains unknown whether the reported phenomenon in Cuba is related to Friday's meteor strike in central Russia, which set off a shockwave that shattered windows and left some 1,000 people injured. Source: Xinhua |
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Mike Wall
SPACE.com 2013-02-16 00:38:00
It's really starting to look like the sky is falling. According to media reports, a fireball streaked through the skies above California's Bay Area Friday evening (Feb. 15), just hours after another bright meteor exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk and a 150-foot-wide (45 meters) asteroid gave Earth a historically close shave. The Bay Area fireball blazed up around 7:45 p.m. local time Friday (10:45 p.m. EST; 0345 GMT Saturday), NBC Bay Area reported. The meteor apparently had a bluish tinge and was visible over a wide swath of the region, from Fairfield north of San Francisco Bay down to Gilroy, which is south of San Jose. There were no immediate reports of injuries, which distinguished the California fireball from its Russian counterpart. The Chelyabinsk blast generated a powerful shock wave that damaged hundreds of buildings and wounded more than 1,000 people. | |
Comment: "Truly improbable cosmic coincidences"... or something else?
Fireball reports are increasing all the time:
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Nancy Atkinson
Universe Today 2013-02-15 19:48:00
A small asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere early Friday, February 15, 2013 over Chelyabinsk, Russia at about 9:20 am local Russian time. Initial estimates, according to Bill Cooke, lead for the Meteoroid Environments Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, is that the asteroid was about 15 meters (50 feet) in diameter, with a weight of 7,000 metric tons. It hit the atmosphere at a shallow angle of about 20 degrees, at a speed of about 65,000 km/h (40,000 mph). It traveled through the atmosphere for about 30 seconds before breaking apart and producing violent airburst 'explosion' about 20-14 km (12-15 miles) above Earth's surface, producing an energy shockwave equivalent to a 300 kilotons explosion. That energy propagated down through the atmosphere, atmosphere, stuck the city below - the Chelyabinsk region has a population of about 1 million - and windows were broken, walls collapsed and there were other reports of minor damage throughout the city. The official impact time was 7:20:26 p.m. PST, or 10:20:26 p.m. EST on Feb. 14 (3:20:26 UTC on Feb. 15). | |
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Leonard David
Space.com 2013-02-15 13:28:00
The dramatic fireball that exploded over Russia today (Feb. 15) was apparently the biggest such blast in more than a century, scientists say. The object that caused the Russian fireball, which damaged hundreds of buildings and wounded perhaps 1,000 people in the Chelyabinsk region, was originally probably about 50 feet (15 meters) in diameter and weighed roughly 7,000 tons, said Peter Brown, director of the Center for Planetary Science and Exploration at the University of Western Ontario in Canada. From multiple sensors using multiple technologies, a best initial estimate of the total energy of the event is about 300 kilotons of TNT-equivalent, Brown said, though he stressed that the number could change as scientists learn more. "This could easily be in error by a factor of two," he told SPACE.com. "I am confident, however, that it is in excess of 100 kilotons, making it the largest recorded event since the 1908 Tunguska explosion." [Photos of Russia's Meteor Fireball Blast] In that 1908 event, a 130-foot-wide (40 m) object exploded over the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia, flattening about 825 square miles (2,137 square km) of forest. In a cosmic coincidence, the most recent Russian fireball exploded just hours before the 150-foot-wide (45 m) asteroid 2012 DA14 was set to cruise within 17,200 miles (27,000 km) of Earth today, marking the closest approach of such a large space rock that scientists had predicted ahead of time. The two events today are unrelated, NASA researchers say. | |
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Tanya Lewis
Space.com 2013-02-15 10:12:00
Astronomer Ian Holliday studied photographic records of roughly a thousand fireballs from the 1970s and 80s, finding what looked like a fireball stream crossing Earth's orbit during February, late summer and fall. Halliday's results are somewhat controversial, but the phenomenon appears real. The meteor which exploded over the Urals of central Russia was seen by Meteosat-9, at the edge of the satellite view. Hundreds of people were reportedly injured as the meteor's massive sonic boom caused widespread damage. It's fireball season on Earth, and it is starkly clear for residents in eastern Russia where a bright fireball exploded in the atmosphere early today (Feb. 15). Comment: The only sense in which it is 'Fireball Season' is that these next few months and years are going to see a whole lot more fireballs than usual. For reasons scientists don't quite understand, there appears to be an increase in the number of bright meteors visible blazing through the night sky during the month of February. The notion hit home today when a meteor exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains, injuring more than 900 people and damaging thousands of buildings, according to press reports. (Another space rock, the asteroid 2012DA14, is on course to pass very close to Earth Friday evening, but will not hit the planet.) | |
Comment: It is not just February that has seen a large increase in fireballs - they have been increasing in frequency in all seasons in recent years!
Celestial Intentions: Comets and the Horns of Moses is a must-read to understand just what the heck is going on here. | |
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Source
Can we jettison misguided and dangerous recommendations on fat and heart disease - please?2013-02-18 12:23:00 Australian research makes a splash It's not often that the mainstream media notices an academic meta-analysis, or study of studies - particularly if it goes against the tide of prevailing dietary advice. But that's what happened with a recent Australian study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Saturated fat: not so bad after all? The BMJ paper was an update of a previous meta-analysis by the same investigators, looking at the consequences for cardiovascular health of replacing dietary saturated fats (i.e. butter) with polyunsaturated, omega-6 fatty acids (PUFAs). This time around, the group reassessed the results of the Sydney Diet Heart Study (SDHS), a randomized, controlled trial involving 458 patients that compared the rates of cardiovascular disease among subjects who increased the amount of omega-6 PUFAs - specifically, linoleic acid from safflower oil - in their diet with patients who continued their normal diet. As well as reanalyzing the results, the investigators incorporated them into their previous meta-analysis. The SDHS results were clear: replacing dietary saturated fats with omega-6 PUFAs increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and mortality from coronary heart disease. Not only that, but, "An increase of 5% of food energy from [omega-6 PUFAs] predicted 35% and 29% higher risk of cardiovascular death and all cause mortality, respectively". Similarly, the updated meta-analysis found that increasing dietary omega-6 PUFAs in isolation was associated with increased mortality risk from both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease overall. And Omega-6's are the main components of polyunsaturated fats in the Western diet - and they are found in vegetable oils and margarines - the very things we started to eat more of forty or so years ago when we were warned saturated fats would give us heart disease! | |
Comment: For more information on the benefits of a fat-fuel metabolism, visit our forum's discussions "Life Without Bread" and "Ketogenic Diet".
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Dr. Davis
Wheat Belly 2013-02-15 11:58:00
I often hear people say that the reason that there more problems today with consumption of wheat products is because the gluten content has increased. I always wondered where that argument came from. I am obviously no defender of wheat nor gluten, but I also don't like attention diverted by issues that have no basis in truth. So this paper written by a USDA scientist entitled Can an Increase in Celiac Disease Be Attributed to an Increase in the Gluten Content of Wheat as a Consequence of Wheat Breeding? I believe helps settle the issue. After surveying analyses of various wheats of the 20th century, he concludes: "I have not found clear evidence of an increase in the gluten content of wheat in the United States during the 20th century, and if there has indeed been an increase in celiac disease during the latter half of the century, wheat breeding for higher gluten content does not seem to be the basis." Interestingly, analyses of emmer wheat (the 28-chromosome form of the Bible, for instance) demonstrates much higher gluten content than modern wheat. The astounding list of problems we have with modern wheat is not due to an increase in gluten content. It is due to other changes, including: | |
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Chris Kresser
Chris Kresser L.Ac. 2013-02-15 11:53:00
I've written before about the dangers of omega-6 PUFAs in the diet, and how high intake of PUFAs in the Western diet may be a culprit in the significant increase in inflammatory diseases, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, cancer, autoimmune disease, and more. (1, 2) We've known for a while now that a correlation exists between a rising intake of n-6 and increased mortality from heart disease. (3) You may have already changed your diet back to one containing high saturated fat from butter, meat, and coconut products, much to the dismay of your doctor and perhaps even your skeptical family members. The belief that omega-6 rich vegetable oils are the "heart healthy" choice is pervasive, despite limited and controversial evidence. It can be difficult to convince others that you're not asking for a heart attack by eating saturated fat. Now, thanks to research published last week in BMJ, an old study is shedding new light on the omega-6 fatty acids and heart health controversy. The Sydney Diet Heart Study was a randomized controlled trial conducted from 1966 to 1973, comprising 458 men aged 30-59 years with a recent coronary event, such as a heart attack. Patients were randomized to either a control diet (e.g. no change) or an intervention diet, where they were instructed to increase their omega-6 PUFA intake to 15% of calories and to reduce saturated fat intake to less than 10% calories. Participants were provided with liquid safflower oil and a safflower oil based margarine to be used instead of animal fats. (They were also given safflower oil in capsules to take as a supplement. Yikes!) | |
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Gabriela Segura, MD.
According to this article from the Scottish Terrier Club of America, if you have never lost a Scottish Terrier to bladder cancer - or, more properly, Transitional Cell Carcinoma - consider yourself extremely lucky. Research has suggested that Scottish Terriers are 20 times more likely to get bladder cancer than other breeds and it usually occurs in older dogs (average age 11 years). Such a diagnosis can be devastating to dogs and their owners alike. So you would be extremely pleased to meet Phoebe, a Scottish Terrier that got bladder cancer and survived it thanks to the love and care of their owners who did some alternative research and gave her vitamin C and a primal doggie diet. Let all pet owners and cancer patients know this story!Sott.net 2013-02-16 14:49:00 First, let us see the report from our good friend who brought to our attention this Doggie Miracle:
[M]y uncles' 12 year old dog (Scottish Terrier) Phoebe, had bladder cancer - Transitional Cell Carcinoma -, common in this race and mortal in almost all cases, and according to the analysis and the vet, it was an aggressive one. | |
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Mike Barrett
Natural Society 2013-02-17 12:47:00
Would you be surprised to hear that the human race is slowly becoming dumber, and dumber? Despite our advancements over the last tens or even hundreds of years, some 'experts' believe that humans are losing cognitive capabilities and becoming more emotionally unstable. One Stanford University researcher and geneticist, Dr. Gerald Crabtree, believes that our intellectual decline as a race has much to do with adverse genetic mutations. But there is more to it than that. According to Crabtree, our cognitive and emotional capabilities are fueled and determined by the combined effort of thousands of genes. If a mutation occurred in any of of these genes, which is quite likely, then intelligence or emotional stability can be negatively impacted.
Further, the geneticist explains that people with specific adverse genetic mutations are more likely than ever to survive and live amongst the 'strong.' Darwin's theory of 'survival of the fittest' is less applicable in today's society, therefore those with better genes will not necessarily dominate in society as they would have in the past. While this hypothesis does have some merit: are genes really the primary reason for the overall cognitive decline of the human race? If humans really are lacking in intelligence more than before, it's important to recognize other possible causes. Let's take a look at how our food system plays a role in all of this. It's sad, but true; our food system today is contributing to lower intelligence across the board. | |
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Science Daily
A new study has linked exposure to two common perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs) with osteoarthritis. PFCs are used in more than 200 industrial processes and consumer products including certain stain- and water-resistant fabrics, grease-proof paper food containers, personal care products, and other items. Because of their persistence, PFCs have become ubiquitous contaminants of humans and wildlife. The study, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, is the first to look at the associations between perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), and osteoarthritis, in a study population representative of the United States.2013-02-17 03:43:00 "We found that PFOA and PFOS exposures are associated with higher prevalence of osteoarthritis, particularly in women, a group that is disproportionately impacted by this chronic disease," said Sarah Uhl, who authored the study along with Yale Professor Michelle L. Bell and Tamarra James-Todd, an epidemiologist at the Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The research was the focus of Uhl's Master's of Environmental Science Program at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. The authors analyzed data from six years of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES, 2003-2008), which enabled them to account for factors such as age, income, and race/ethnicity. When the researchers looked at men and women separately, they found clear, strong associations for women, but not men. Women in the highest 25% of exposure to PFOA had about two times the odds of having osteoarthritis compared to those in the lowest 25% of exposure. |
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Arthur Haines
Primal Docs 2013-02-13 12:17:00
Tea, including black, green, white, and oolong varieties, is prepared from the leaves of a shrub native to Asia called Camellia sinensis. It is a well-known hot beverage and is consumed in many households as a replacement for or in addition to the other common, hot beverage of the United States - coffee (made from the seeds of Coffea arabica). Tea is considered to be a beneficial drink and is known to contain antioxidants (e.g., epigallocatechin gallate). However, most are unaware that cultivated tea plants accumulate fluoride, a central nervous system toxin that accumulates in the body. We are told our entire lives that fluoride is beneficial for cavity prevention (through hardening of the enamel of our teeth). What we are never told is that fluoride is not used by our body in any natural physiological pathway and that there are health effects to its consumption, including dental and skeletal fluorosis, osteoarthritis, thyroid issues, endocrine disruption, immune system suppression, and several nervous system effects. And though it does harden the enamel of our teeth, it also makes them more brittle and susceptible to breakage. I do not expect a simple listing of the health issues to make you reconsider your family's use of fluoride; therefore, you may find the following numbers informative. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has set standards for the amount of fluoride that can be present in drinking water because it is known to cause harm at high doses. The maximum contaminant level (MCL) was set at 4 parts per million (ppm). At that level, a person would consume 4 mg per liter of water each day (this assumes they consume only four cups of water each day). Studies show that people are actually consuming nearly 8 mg per day, which is twice the MCL set by the USEPA. Read carefully: this amount is higher than the amount provided when fluoride is used to treat hyperthyroidism (i.e., an over-functioning thyroid). Therefore, consuming fluoridated water at this level depresses thyroid function, which can create many issues, including memory problems, weight gain, depression, apathy, fatigue, constipation, skin problems, sexual dysfunction, loss of ability to concentrate, and more. Here are some additional results of studies regarding fluoride's health effects: | |
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Dr Tyson Perez
GreenMedInfo 2013-02-14 12:05:00
With the recent release of a provocative children's book entitled Melanie's Marvelous Measles, a debate has ensued regarding the effectiveness and wisdom surroundingmeasles vaccinations. When I first heard about the book, I went to Amazon to order a copy for myself. The amount of negative reviews was staggering. People were claiming that the information was "dangerous", "harmful" and "ill-informed". Some were even calling for the book to be banned. It took me a few minutes to read it from cover to cover. Rather than critique the book, which has already been done quite eloquently by others, I would like to talk about the widespread fear surrounding measles and the misinformation regarding the vaccine. References to measles can be found as far back as the 7th century.[1] Measles is an RNA virus that was first isolated in 1954. A typical infection produces a characteristic skin rash starting at the head and progressing down the trunk and extremities. The rash is typically preceded by a high fever. Around this time, blue-white spots (Koplik spots) can be found on the mucous membranes. These are considered pathognomonic for measles. Other symptoms may include cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, anorexia and lymphadenopathy. According to the CDC, prior to the introduction of the vaccine, measles was a nearly universal infection occurring most commonly in 5-9 year olds with 90% of U.S. children immune by age 15. Most kids recovered fully within a few weeks with life-long immunity. Reported complications from data collected between 1985-1992 included pneumonia (6%), encephalitis (.1%), seizures (.6-.7%), and death (.2%). These occurred most frequently in children under 5 and adults over 20. These complications may, in fact, have been exacerbated by allopathic interventions to treat common symptoms such as fever reduction using antipyretics.[15,16] | |
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Science Daily
2013-02-13 00:00:00
Mindfulness meditation training in awareness of present moment experience, such as body and breath sensations, prevents depression and reduces distress in chronic pain. In a new paper, Brown University scientists propose a neurophysiological framework to explain these clinical benefits. A matter of sensory cortical alpha rhythms Repeated local sensory focus -- on a hand, say -- develops control over underlying neurophysiological mechanisms that may help manage chronic pain or other problems. Why does training in mindfulness meditation help patients manage chronic pain and depression? In a newly published neurophysiological review, Brown University scientists propose that mindfulness practitioners gain enhanced control over sensory cortical alpha rhythms that help regulate how the brain processes and filters sensations, including pain, and memories such as depressive cognitions. The proposal, based on published experimental results and a validated computer simulation of neural networks, derives its mechanistic framework from the intimate connection in mindfulness between mind and body, since standardized mindfulness meditation training begins with a highly localized focus on body and breath sensations. This repeated localized sensory focus, the scientists write, enhances control over localized alpha rhythms in the primary somatosensory cortex where sensations from different body are "mapped" by the brain. | |
Comment: Éiriú Eolas is a proven technique that can assist you with reducing your stress, calming and focusing your mind, creating better links between body and mind and thus improving quality of life, increasing sense of connection with others in your community. It will help you to have improved overall health, a stronger immune system, better impulse control and reduced inflammation. It will also help you to heal emotional wounds; anything that may hinder or prevent you from leading a healthy and fulfilling life. Visit the Éiriú Eolas site or participate on the forum to learn more about the scientific background of this program and then try it out for yourselves, free of charge.
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YouTube
How The Drug Companies Make Vaccines? Why is it that junk food must list the ingredients, but vaccines do not? What do they have to hide? Lets Find Out!2006-10-25 22:49:00 |
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The Onion
2013-02-16 06:28:00
Los Angeles residents are reportedly on edge today following reports that hundreds of armed and extremely dangerous Los Angeles Police Department officers are resuming regular patrolling duties after the conclusion of Tuesday's manhunt for rogue ex-cop Christopher Dorner. "I mean, just knowing they're out there is terrifying - how can I feel safe when these maniacs are on the loose in my neighborhood?" said a visibly rattled Ashley Stillson, 38, who explained that she strictly observed the city's advisory to avoid the historically violent, unpredictable predators by going out in groups and avoiding the streets entirely after nightfall. "These guys are volatile and, in many cases, mentally unstable. Something needs to be done about them because I fear for my family knowing these sick people are still at large." At press time, sources reported the tense mood in L.A. had brightened considerably after news of a serial rapist diverted numerous LAPD officers to a sprawling manhunt in nearby San Bernardino. |
