GOVEROTRAGEOUS: USA interrogation techniques; unacceptable

Monday, May 4, 2015

May 4, 2015
Mr. Ferdinand Reinke
1641 International Dr Unit 414
McLean, VA 22102-4831

Dear Mr. Reinke:

Thank you for contacting me about the report on interrogation techniques by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. It was good to hear from you.

I believe that torture has no place in national security methods; it should not be used as it contradicts our values. In December 2012, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) voted 14-1 to approve a more than 6,000-page report that included detailed information on each detainee the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) interrogated, the methods used, and the accuracy of the intelligence. Since 2005, the SSCI has worked on this report, conducting its own investigation into these tactics. Following this investigation, on April 3rd, 2014 the SSCI voted in a bipartisan manner to declassify certain sections of the report. On December 9th, 2014 the SSCI released an unclassified executive summary and findings of the report to the public. The report found that enhanced interrogation methods were not effective or properly justified. In addition, the study cited discrepancies between management, oversight, and reporting to the administration of interrogations the CIA conducted.

While I am well aware of the unique national security challenges faced by our nation, I have always believed strongly that torture is not a proper method for ensuring our security and does not belong in the pursuit of our foreign policy or national security goals. I support the Committee’s thorough work to properly oversee and review intelligence collection methods, and support the report’s release. I believe that intelligence collection is critical to our national security and counterterrorism efforts, and I deeply respect the work of the professionals who remain vigilant and keep us safe. I hope that by fully exposing these past interrogation measures we can help guard against the future use of such a program, which is inconsistent with American values.

I am encouraged that the SSCI carefully reviewed the information presented to it and continues to evaluate a number of important issues. As a member of both the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees, I recognize the important implications the declassification of this report has on our servicemembers and intelligence community, which are so closely tied to Virginia, as well as on efforts to maintain diplomatic relations to and manage future conflict.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me with your views on this important matter.

Sincerely,

Signature

Tim Kaine

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I tried!

# – # – # – # – #  2015-May-04 @ 21:13  

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POLITICAL: Is the Gooferment inflicting suffering on the people

Monday, May 4, 2015

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/04/tyler-durden/needless-suffering-inflicted-on-ordinary-americans/

The Baltimore Riots: The Stunning Comments By Orioles Owner’s Son
By Tyler Durden
Zero Hedge
April 29, 2015

*** begin quote ***

The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever, at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes inconvenience at a ball game irrelevant in light of the needless suffering government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.”

*** end quote ***

Wow. that’s a pretty damning indictment of the current Gooferment and the policies of the last 30 years.

When you think of the “Rust Belt” and the demise of the American auto industry, that’s the exemplar of what this is saying.

It can’t be “corrected”. Anymore than you can hold back the tides.

But the Gooferment, with its Crony Capitalism, feathering the nest of politicians and bureaucrats, and all the other abuses, has finally killed the “goose that lays the golden eggs”.

Do we have to be like the alcoholic, who wakes up face down in a pool of his own fluids, to realize that help is needed?

Apparently so.

Seems like there are some very ugly chickens that have to be dealt with and they problems all start (and possibly end) with Gooferment.

Best we can do is starve the beast into submission. No new taxes, no new fee, no nothing. 

Period. End of story.

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SURVIVAL: What do you have when your house collapses or worse

Sunday, May 3, 2015

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3055045/Homes-offices-collapse-massive-earthquake-rocks-Nepal-destroying-historic-19th-century-tower.html

The tiny gap between life and death: Entombed alive with the body of his friend, Nepal earthquake victim is finally pulled free as death toll rises to 2,500

  • The earthquake survivor was pulled from rubble of his home in Swyambhu in the Kathmandu Valley on Sunday 
  • He had been stuck with the lifeless body of his friend after the building they were in collapsed around them 
  • In the Nepalese capital city of Kathmandu the bodies of hundreds killed have been laid out in the street 
  • Rescue teams are frantically using their hands to dig out survivors as aid relief from neighbouring India arrives
  • As many as 18 climbers on Mount Everest were killed when base camp was swallowed by avalanche on Saturday 
  • More bodies are being pulled from destruction in cities ‘by the hour’ as the death toll continues to rise 

By SARA MALM and JENNIFER SMITH and STEPHANIE LINNING and HANNAH PARRY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 03:55 EST, 25 April 2015 | UPDATED: 14:32 EST, 26 April 2015

*** begin quote ***

Thousands of people spent the night outside in chilly temperatures and patchy rain, too afraid to return to their damaged homes or sleep indoors for fear of another tremor. Aftershocks from the deadly earthquake have ravaged through the country today. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear… you can hear the women and children crying ‘The aftershocks keep coming … so people don’t know what to expect,’  said Sanjay Karki, Nepal country head for global aid agency Mercy Corps. ‘All the open spaces in Kathmandu are packed with people who are camping outdoors. When the aftershocks come you cannot imagine the fear. You can hear women and children crying.’

*** end quote *** 

We see “natural disasters”, but it’s like no one prepares.

In the USA, we have tornados, floods, power outages, and blizzards. There are gas explosions, fires, and wind damage. 

Many different ways a house can become a total loss.

But no one is prepared it seems for anything.

My paternal grandmother in Oregon had a storm “cellar” nearby her house. Up on a rise, dug into the hill, with her “put up food”, blankets, and stuff. In bad weather, she sleep in it. 

Most people have nothing, zero, nada. Not even a plan.

We’re very luck that this doesn’t happen often. But it does happen often enough.

I have serval 72 hour bags around. Maybe even I need more.

Hmmm?

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CLOUD: My desire to leave the Apple / Microsoft “jail” is hindered by these functions or programs

Saturday, May 2, 2015

TO produce my Jasper Jottings:

  • BlueGriffon — to compose HTML
  • MARSEDIT — to capture my daily Jasper Jottings blog
  • FileZilla — to post it
  • Mail chimp — web-based service
  • Yahoo Group — web-based service 

TO produce my blog:

  • MARSEDIT —blog posts
  • TEXEXPANDER — for quotes and shorthand

Other functions

  • iMessage — for texting
  • Opera Mail — for yet another Mail program and rss feeds
  • PROXPN — for privacy on public wifi
  • LIBRE OFFICE — microsoft compatibility
  • CLIP MENU — for cut and paste memory 
  • DOXIE — for scanning
  • FACETIME — for video calls
  • FITBIT CONNECT — for tracking
  • FORMAT MATCH — cut and paste format free text
  • LASTPASS — password generation
  • SCRIVENER — for writing; constrained by disk space
  • PHOTO — space constrained

Any suggestions?

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MONEY: Investing short term earnings and long term as well?

Friday, May 1, 2015

https://www.quora.com/I-am-a-single-mother-who-is-looking-to-invest-my-money-What-suggestions-do-you-have-for-something-that-will-be-good-for-short-term-earnings-and-long-term-as-well?__snids__=1105045430&__nsrc__=2

I am a single mother who is looking to invest my money. What suggestions do you have for something that will be good for short term earnings and long term as well?

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I’m a big fan of Ric Edelman, the Financial Advisor, who does a weekly radio show for decades. He says that his objective to help people become rich.

(Disclaimer: I’m a Client for several years and get nothing for giving this recommendation.)

He offers — and several of my coworkers have taken them up on it — to spend some time with ANYONE regardless of possible account size and help identify your goals and suggestions how to reach them.

One specific coworker had a job, a mortgaged house, and nothing else. One of their Financial Advisors has spent four hours with her over the last three months coaching her financially. So I’d recommend that you talk to one of these guys rather than trying to go it alone.

There is NO obligation to do business with them.

They are registered financial advisers which means they work in your best interest (i.e., the fiduciary standard).

They have an account minimum of 5k$ if you want to have them handle your investments. So, I’d say 1-800-call-ric or ricedelman dot com.

I worked on Wall Street for a couple of decades, managed my own portfolio, and I wish I had found them much sooner. Just my opinion.

Remember the sources of my education! I’m just a fat old white guy injineer with:

  • Law “degree” from watching Judge Judy;
  • Medical “degree” from watching Doctor Phil;
  • Building “degree” from watching “Holmes on Homes”;
  • Investing “degree” from reading about Bernie Made-off;
  • Finance “degree”from listening to Ric Edelman;
  • Sensitively managing Human Resources from watching Chef Ramsey; AND
  • Creating loving /  caring human relationships from studying the movie roles
    of Gunny Ronald Lee Ermey! 

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SURVIVAL: Being fragile “animal” in a dangerous world

Thursday, April 30, 2015

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/04/25/2-missing-sisters-visiting-family-in-michigan-found-after-nearly-2-weeks/?intcmp=latestnews

MIDWEST
2 missing sisters visiting family in Michigan found after nearly 2 weeks
Published April 25, 2015
FoxNews.com

*** begin quote ***

The women – Leslie Roy, 52, and Lee Marie Wright, 56 – survived on Girl Scout cookies while stuck in their snow-crippled SUV. A pilot noticed a reflection off the Ford Explorer and landed the police helicopter on shore, ending the women’s unexpected wilderness adventure.

*** end quote ***

Tough world out there. Especially when you’re unprepared.

It’s not like you don’t have room in an SUV for a “Bug Out”, “Get Home”, or “Holy Hell What’s Happening” bag.

Fire making materials, survival blankets, food and water seem obvious.

And people think an SUV is a ATV.

At least they were smart enough to stay with the SUV!

Dumb that they didn’t start burning the spare after a week?

Recently when I was driving from Manchester NH to Keene NH, I found large stretches with no cell phone service. So you can’t depend upon that.

Most important is a survival mindset. 

If you’re depending upon a road being plowed, then you better do some research.

When in Vegas and we’d go for a ride, there were always two gallons of water in the rental car. And we were NOT going of the beaten track. But it’s dry and hot there.

And, finally, you always have to leave a route with your “canary”. That is someone who knows where you are, where you’re going, and when you’ll check back in. I acted as a “canary” for someone traveling alone in Japan. (We even had a code word!)

These women were very lucky.

The human being is a fragile “animal” in a dangerous world.

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TINFOILHAT: OKC Bombing story starts to crack open;

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

http://whowhatwhy.org/2015/04/22/exclusive-oklahoma-city-bombing-breakthrough-part-1-of-2/

Exclusive: Oklahoma City Bombing Breakthrough, Part 1 of 2
April 22, 2015 by Roger Charles

*** begin quote ***

So, were McVeigh, Nichols and Fortier disgruntled domestic terrorists operating on their own? Apparently not, according to one long-time FBI Confidential Informant (CI).

Shortly after the April 19, 1995, bombing, John Matthews, a CI targeting right wing and neo-Nazi groups (but expressly forbidden to target OKBOMB-related information), reported to his FBI handler information relevant to McVeigh. Matthews recounted how, a few years before the Oklahoma City attack, he had attended a weekend training session in Austin, Texas, for a suspect paramilitary group. While at this meeting, Matthews met two ex-soldiers, introduced as “Tim” and “Andy.”

In the post-bombing media deluge, Matthews realized that “Tim” was Timothy McVeigh, When Matthews related his information about “Tim” and “Andy the German” to Don Jarrett of Phoenix, his FBI handler, Jarrett responded, “We know, John. Don’t worry about it. We got it covered.”

*** end quote ***

So McVeigh was executed.

The trial judge didn’t order DOJ to explain the FBI and ATF involvement.

It’s probably that this was either bungled or prompted.

Argh!

Just once, I’d like to get the straight truth about anything.

“Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago’s death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don’t want the truth because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don’t give a damn what you think you are entitled to.” Colonel Jessep in A Few Good Men played by Jack Nicholson

“We, The Sheeple” are ENTITLED to the truth.

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RANT: Drug addiction is a MEDICAL problem

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Advisory: Police / Health Officials Warn of Spike in Overdoses Related to Synthetic Marijuana

Dear Nixle User,

Police and Health Officials Warn of Spike in Synthetic Marijuana Overdose Cases

The New Jersey Poison Information and Education System is issuing an alert for a “Street Drug” causing life-threatening reactions. The agency along with state health officials are warning people not to use products sold as synthetic marijuana (often called spice, k2, etc.). In the past week, there have been approximately 30 people admitted to hospitals in NJ and many more in NY suffering the consequences of using these products. As of now, no one really knows what is in these substances. However, what is known is that people are getting very sick from it; severe agitation, seizures, renal failure, and other life-threatening reactions are being reported.

On Tuesday South Brunswick Police and EMS responded to a township home where a 22 year old female was convulsing and throwing up. Officers found her lying on the ground shaking uncontrollably. Friends indicated that the woman had been smoking synthetic marijuana. Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad transported the woman to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital for treatment.

The large increase in overdose cases in New Jersey mirrors recent activity in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania where more than 39 cases have been reported in the past week. Lehigh County officials indicate that some of the patients had various degrees of intoxication that resulted in at least one being intubated. In some cases patients have shown aggressive behavior toward police officers and emergency medical services personnel.

Health officials want parents and community members to be aware of the dangers of these substances. For more information please contact a poison expert at 800-222-1222.

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When was the last time you heard something like this in the non-illegal drug marketplace?

Excedrine poisoning, maybe.

And the makes immediately resigned the packaging to be tamper proof.

The “(pseudo) War on (some) Drugs” ENSURES that we will suffer these types of episodes REGULARLY.

Maybe that’s what the Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats want!

Drugs are bad. We need Mommie and Daddie Gooferment to protect us.

Argh!

Drug addiction is a MEDICAL; not legal problem.

Repeal the drug laws. (How did they ever get passed in the first place with our experience with Prohibition!)

Let WalMart, Walgreens, RiteAid, and CVS dispense “good” “illegal” drugs — that are clean and of a know quantity and quality.

Just like at the casinos, tell folks where to go to get help if they have a problem.

(Why is that “good enough” for problem gamblers and problem drinkers, but not for some drug abusers?)

Argh!

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LIBERTY: War comes to the USA

Monday, April 27, 2015

https://www.lewrockwell.com/2015/04/john-w-whitehead/battlefield-america-2/

Battlefield America: The War on the American People
By John W. Whitehead
April 22, 2015

*** begin quote ***

Noam Chomsky summed it up when he said that Washington regards any information that does not repeat Washington’s propaganda to be intolerable.

Washington’s assault on truth as a threat helps to make sense of the gigantic National Security Agency spy system exposed by William Binney and Edward Snowden. One of the purposes of the spy network is to identify all “dissidents” who challenge Big Brother’s “Truth.”

*** and ***

Trust me, if it looks like a battlefield (armored tanks on the streets, militarized police in metro stations, surveillance cameras everywhere), sounds like a battlefield (SWAT team raids nightly, sound cannons to break up large assemblies of citizens), and acts like a battlefield (police shooting first and asking questions later, intimidation tactics, and involuntary detentions), it’s a battlefield.

Indeed, what happened in Ocala, Florida, is a good metaphor for what’s happening across the country: Sheriff’s deputies, dressed in special ops uniforms and riding in an armored tank on a public road, pulled a 23-year-old man over and issued a warning violation to him after he gave them the finger. The man, Lucas Jewell, defended his actions as a free speech expression of his distaste for militarized police.

*** end quote ***

Clearly, the “Rubicon” has been crossed.

When does “We, The Sheeple” resist? If resistance is possible.

It has to be peaceful resolute non-violence in the tradition of Gandhi and MLK.

“Yes. In the end, you will walk out. Because 100,000 Englishmen simply cannot control 350 million Indians, if those Indians refuse to cooperate.” — movie Gandhi (1983)

In this case, it’s 320 million “sheeple” and several million politicians and bureaucrats. 

But the answer is the same — withdraw your consent, put sand in the machinery of Gooferment, and just say no!

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JLINKEDIN: McCrosson, Matt (MC????) new job Partner, O’Connor Davies, LLP

Sunday, April 26, 2015

2015-Apr-26

Matt McCrosson has a new job: Partner, O’Connor Davies, LLP

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https://www.linkedin.com/in/mmccrosson

McCrosson, Matt (MC????)
Partner,O’Connor Davies, LLP
Greater New York City AreaAccounting

Summary
My diverse professional experience and background provide a better understanding of the challenges faced by my clients. I strive to offer practical guidance that improves operating capability and helps the organization as a whole.

I am a partner of the Firm and have more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. I provide a broad scope of management advisory services to a diverse range of clients, including business finance, operations, technology, and performance improvement. I have significant experience in planning for organizational change, and helping my clients remain on track in a rapidly-changing corporate environment.

Prior to joining O’Connor Davies, I held a senior position at a Big Four accounting firm and focused on clients in the not-for-profit, higher education and government sectors. Earlier in my career, I served as the Chief Operating Officer or Chief Financial Officer for several national and regional not-for-profit organizations, including the March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation and the New York Urban Coalition.

I regularly speak on the topics of financial reporting, organizational efficiency and operations management. I am also a dedicated volunteer and sit on numerous not-for-profit organization Boards.

# – # – # – # – #  2015-Apr-26 @ 12:44  

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