A U.S. naval officer leaped to his death at the Philippines' main airport Monday shortly after being caught with a sachet of cocaine, police and embassy officials said.
Lieutenant Commander Scintar Mejia, 35, died from his fall after being caught with a small amount cocaine at Manila International Airport late Sunday, said Superintendent Manuel Pintado, an official of the airport police unit.
Mejia, who is of Filipino descent, was found carrying the cocaine during a security search just before he was to depart for Los Angeles, said Pintado.
"He became unruly, he seemed intoxicated. He threw the sachet at the police so we apprehended him and brought him to airport security headquarters," Pintado told AFP.
The suspect appeared to have calmed down and was interviewed by representatives of the U.S. embassy and U.S. Navy officials, the superintendent added.
While being held overnight at the airport office, Mejia was allowed to go to a bathroom but as he was being led out, he broke away from his escort and jumped off a 10-foot high balcony and landed on his head.
He was rushed to a hospital but died shortly afterwards, Pintado said, adding he could not say if Mejia wanted to commit suicide or was trying to escape.
The U.S. embassy said it was aware of the "tragic incident" and was awaiting further details from local police.
The details of the case remain unclear as Mejia had only been in the country for a day, Pintado said, adding that it was difficult to obtain cocaine in Manila.
#3
This story has a bad smell to it. Not believable.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
12/28/2010 6:05 Comments ||
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#4
Flips can be very unpredictable in good and bad ways, and I am not surprised at about anything any of them do.
I just shake my head at the missed opportunity for the Philippines with the closures of Subic Bay Naval Base, to set up a world class deep water shipyard in its place, that would have made them a huge maritime transshipment point.
#7
This does not sound right. I think there is another angle to the story. Besoeker I am pretty sure that they are still doing wiz-quiz's in all branches of the service and I would be surprised if a LCDR was using.
#8
Thanks AA5839. My hackles went up a soon as I saw the headline.
Besides, an Army/Air Force/Marine LTC is an O-5, not an O-4.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/28/2010 12:04 Comments ||
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#9
Are we thinking cover-up? I am. FIlipino police just so happen to lose him over a 10ft drop where he falls and lands head-first? Sounds more like he was thrown off.
Posted by: Charles ||
12/28/2010 12:28 Comments ||
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#10
1. The Navy still does unannounced urinalysis testing.
2. The Navy and the Marines still conduct unannounced safety-and-health inspections of berthing and work areas.
3. Last I checked, however, the Navy doesn't conduct unannounced urinalysis or safety-and-health inspections of its personnel on leave, especially while said personnel are in a foreign country.
#11
Apologies to all who caught my LTC gaffe. I confess that the arcane ways of the Squid rank structure have long baffled me. I am generally distrustful of pools of water adequate to taking a bath, much less those large enough to float in.
#12
'Moose, as I told my son when he was in the Marines and making fun of squids: It's a long freaking swim to wherever you are going, especially if you are in full battle gear.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
12/28/2010 13:43 Comments ||
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#13
Wehell, his USN career was essentially over, be it by the PHIL LEGAL-PRISON SYSTEM OR BY THE USDOD.
AFAIK, since the early 1980's the Phil Govt has taken a HARDER LINE on Drug Smuggling, etc. thru their Air-Sea Ports, espec from Filipinos. This LTC would prob had faced several years in a Phil Prison inclusive or exclusive of USDOD prosecution + dishonorable discharge for the smuggling.
AND, iff he did end up in local Phil Prison, he likley also faced being PDeniably killed in same by his Local, Regional Underworld = Mafia connections.
IOW, THE LTC CHOSE TO COMMIT SELF-SUICIDE NOW THAN BE KILLED LATER.
#2
" I am guessing that there is NOT an IQ test to work at NYC sanitation."
With their high taxes and nanny-statism, I'm guessing there's no IQ test to live there, either, CS.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/28/2010 15:46 Comments ||
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#3
During a snow emergency, anything on the street is helping to block traffic, and will be treated accordingly. Intelligence has nothing to do with it.
#4
Ditto Chicago. When the city tells you "don't park overnight on this street when there is a snow advisory or alert" they really, really mean it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/28/2010 16:27 Comments ||
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#5
It looks like they went out of their way to destroy cars that car. Where do you park if it isn't on the street? And it didn't look like that street was much of a main artery to me.
#6
I'm sure there were pay garages around there. The owner may not have wanted to pay the rates asked, but when most cities have a snow emergency....they ain't kidding when they say they want all the vehicles off the road. Good luck fighting this one in court, pal.
#7
"I still think the firehose going through a BMW picture is funnier."
I have a friend (we were volunteer firefighers together back in the 1980's) who was a D.C. cop many years ago, SB, and he had a picture from the newspaper up there showing a similar picture.
The hose was going through both front doors of an expensive car (and of course the firefighter hooking it up didn't have the time to make the hydrant connection really tight, if you get my meaning).
Best part, to add insult to injury, was a cop had his foot up on the bumper writing the car owner a ticket. Hee hee hee. :-D
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/28/2010 18:40 Comments ||
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#8
F-150 is fine. I'm OK, but thanks for asking :-)
Drink up!
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/28/2010 18:44 Comments ||
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#9
I think the hose-thru-the-expensive-car-windows was also featured in some movie - Backdraft I think.
At the start of the move there's a fire scene with a expensive car (BMW as I recall) blocking the hydrant so the firefighters simply broke the windows and snaked the hose thru. I loved that scene. Oh yea!
#11
just looked like some OTJ Training for a driving-challenged worker. The Tow truck driver wasn't MENSA material either. Absolutely no reason that had to happen
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/28/2010 20:03 Comments ||
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#12
"There was no snow emergency declared in NYC."
Oops.
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/28/2010 20:26 Comments ||
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#13
My brother's had to do the hydrant thing a couple of times. He says the best part is when the idiot owner comes out screaming for the cops to DO SOMETHING!...and then the cop hands him a hundred dollar ticket.
Jason Post, a spokesman for Mr. Bloomberg, confirmed that there are 400 fewer workers at the [NYC Sanitation]department than two years ago, but insisted the city's snow-fighting force has not been diminished.
"The number of people assigned to snow fighting is the same," Mr. Post said. "How? Other staff normally working in administrative positions have been reassigned to field posts." Mr. Post said workers are staffing the same number of plows and sanding trucks "as ever."
Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty said he directed sanitation officers and administrative personnel to help clear the streets.
#15
Pappy - I've seen skilled loader operators that would run circles around this moron. I'm thinking your clip is on the money. No use of the bucket to help pivot the loader? Stoopid. I've had only a bit of playtime on a loader and I think I could've got out without that damage
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/28/2010 22:08 Comments ||
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#16
There was no snow emergency declared in NYC.
True. According to the article, the mayor had his reasons for that decision, despite it actually being a snow emergency. There are always problems when weather hits areas unaccustomed to it.
#1
And next time someone tells you unions are just about fair wages for an honest day's labor, remember that's not always the case. All too often they're about power and greed. This is also true for public sector unions
Don't forget to include US "professional" sports teams (making gazillions per year) and their dem voting player cydicates, who perform in massive coliseums built by taxpayers.
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
US Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Education
US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs
#4
Pro athletes are the how and why of their jobs. It is right that they make so much money. What, the franchise owners, people who contribute nothing, should make it instead?
Damn, I guessed 120k and thought I was being conservative. What? How can they possibly afford to pay them that?
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/28/2010 12:40 Comments ||
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#6
It gets better.
Most, if not all, Broadway productions use canned music. However (this was a few years back), you would still see a few musicians behind the stage at each show and drawing a paycheck for sitting around, courtesy of their union.
#7
Read the comments. Some guy was saying that they work 100/hrs a week (meaning the union contract probably forbids hiring more workers so they get paid overtime and double-overtime for standing around).
Heck I am de-facto on-call 24/7/365 for some of my applications - so I guess I work 336 Hours a week.
#2
Now now newc, OUR congress not only passes stupid laws by the hundreds, OUR congress also pisses away hundreds of billions of dollars. Can any mullah top that? Huh? Huh?
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/28/2010 11:40 Comments ||
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#3
No wonder the whackjobs among them have such "explosive" temperaments. After all, I'm sure everyone they take with 'em has violated at least one of the 958 fatwas issued that day....
#4
I consider my fatwas similar to a fine wine, or a smooth single malt whiskey: You do not make them every day, and they get better with age. These Imams that crank out fatwas by the firkin: They are the equivalent of Thunderbird or Ripple.
KUWAIT CITY, Dec 26: The Ahmadi police acting on information to a well-prepared camp in Julai'a and prevented people from holding a Christmas party, reports Al-Anba daily.
According to a police source the owner of the camp had organized the party and people who arrived for the party had allegedly paid KD 200 each. The attendance for the party was through invitation only.
The invitation was 'exclusive' for couples only. The fee included booze and food. When a police party raided the camp, they found a well-organized bar, six candle-lit bedrooms. However, when the raiding party arrived, there was nobody except for the Asian guard.
#4
Probably the same person in both instances : he gets brownie points with the cops for reporting the party; and brownie points with the partygoers for warning about the coming bust.
#5
It would have been a lot better if the police had all gone charging into a dark room, only to discover it full of large and angry swine. Then they hear the door shut and lock behind them.
[Arab News] Many Saudi lawyers refuse to take on cases against people who have been accused of dabbling in black magic or deliberately afflicting people with the evil eye, saying such cases are difficult to prove.
"In such cases I will stand with the defendant because it is easy to refute the accusation," Saudi lawyer Waheeb Ibrahim Lami told Arab News. "Such cases are very rare and hardly get to court. Some, however, do, but these are few and far between."
Lami said a friend of his who is a painter told him he was working on a painting when his Indonesian housemaid gave him the evil eye, resulting him being unable to draw.
"She looked at the painting and said it was beautiful. Since then, my friend has been unable to even hold a brush," said Lami.
Lami also recalled the recent incident in Madinah where a judge, who was accused of embezzling about SR200 million, claimed he was haunted by a genie. He added that all religious scholars and lawyers with whom he has discussed the matter are unanimous in their attitude that these kinds of cases cannot be proved.
"Throughout my legal career of more than 30 years I have very rarely run into these kinds of lawsuits in the Kingdom's courts," he said. He advised people to protect themselves against the evil eye and black magic by reciting the Qur'an and making supplications instead of going to court.
Adli Ali Hammad, another Saudi lawyer, said he refuses to represent people who want to make such claims. "I consider them vexatious. They are not easy for the claimant to prove. There is also the risk of the defendant then demanding compensation from his accuser," he said.
Hammad said it is very difficult to provide evidence of black magic or substantiate a claim about the evil eye. He added that magic could be supported by the testimonies of witnesses or items used for making spells. "However, The infamous However... it is better not to open the door to these kinds of cases which would occupy judges and divert them away from other important cases," he said.
Chairman of the Jeddah Summary Court Abdullah Al-Othaim said it is very rare for such cases to reach courts because of difficulties in proving them. "Every one of these cases is considered according to its nature and the evidence provided by the claimant. If there is no solid evidence to incriminate a person, then the defendant will be acquitted," he said.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (Haia) has launched a massive campaign against magic and the use of talismans. According to a recent field study it conducted, black magic is not a widespread problem in the Kingdom. The Haia is, however, adamant on stamping out the problem out before it grows.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/28/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
saying such cases are difficult to prove.
No, IMPOSSIBLE
(Fucked up people)
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
12/28/2010 12:10 Comments ||
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#2
In case of the embezzler Judge if they chopped off his hand would the genie loose his hand also. An interesting question to be debated for centuries by the enlighted religious leaders. Not unlike a dog chasing his tail.
Posted by: Steven ||
12/28/2010 16:21 Comments ||
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#3
I thought the headline said "no sorcery suits," and my first thought was, "Naked warlocks?"
Posted by: Barbara Skolaut ||
12/28/2010 19:04 Comments ||
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China said Tuesday it is reducing the amount of rare earths it will export next year by more than 10 percent -- likely to be an unpopular move worldwide since the minerals are vital to the manufacture of high-tech products.
China accounts for 97 percent of the global production of rare earths, which are essential to devices as varied as cell phones, computer drives and hybrid cars. Countries were alarmed when Beijing blocked shipments of the minerals to Japan earlier this year amid a dispute over disputed islands. There is an old saying about having all your eggs in one basket...
Concerns over China's grip on rare earths has led countries on a hunt for alternative sources. A number of companies in North America -- notably Molycorp Inc. in the U.S. and Thompson Creek Metals Co. in Canada -- are hurrying to open or reopen rare earth mines. Two Australian companies are also preparing to mine rare earths. If the enviro-nitwhits will let you.
Numbers released Tuesday by China's Commerce Ministry show export quotas of the rare minerals will be down 11 percent next year as compared to the same period this year. China usually issues a second batch of quotas during the year, and it is not known how the figures will change later in 2011.
The new numbers say China is allocating 14,446 tons of rare earths among 31 companies. China allocated 16,304 tons among 22 companies in the first batch of quotas this year.
China has been reducing export quotas of rare earths over the past several years to cope with growing demand at home. A Commerce Ministry spokesman has also said that China is cutting its exploration, production and exports out of environmental concerns.
Earlier this month, state media reported that China plans to raise duties on some rare earth exports starting next year, but it did not say which minerals would be affected or how much the tax would be.
A state media report Tuesday said China is preparing to set up a rare earths association that would include nearly all of the country's leading rare earth companies, and could help them to coordinate their negotiating position. The report posted on the Sina Corp. portal said the association should be set up in May.
The United States last week threatened to go to the World Trade Organization with its concerns over China and rare earths. When asked for comment during a regular press briefing Tuesday, China Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu declined to answer. I believe the Chinese response will be, "We got you by the short and curlies and you owe us more than you make. Wanna make a big deal out of it?"
#1
If you are Harvard Biz school educated this is a great advancement as there is now something new to have hedge bubbles over.
Posted by: Water Modem ||
12/28/2010 15:28 Comments ||
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#2
Toyota Tsusho in deal for India rare earths Japanese trading house Toyota Tsusho has reached a strategic deal with India to secure rare earths, the vital minerals used in high-tech goods from computers to electric cars, in a move that will help cut its dependence on China, the worlds dominant producer.
Toyota Tsusho, which is partly owned by Toyota Motors, said on Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with Indian Rare Earths, a state-owned group, to build a plant in the eastern state of Orissa that will secure Japan about 3,000 to 4,000 tonnes a year of the precious minerals by 2012.
Posted by: john frum ||
12/28/2010 15:51 Comments ||
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#3
OMG!!! Peak rare earths!!!!1111!111
Like oil, mines are reopening, and new sources are being found to mine in response to inadequate supply, however artificially created. Punishing China for short-term gain seems silly when long term we can all win. And, China will have lost a monopoly, always a Very Good Thing.
#6
Something between 600 and 800lbs of rare earths go into each and every wind turbine. The net effect here is that wind power subsidies are going into China's pocket. Well done!
Richard Fisher, a China military-affairs specialist, said the new ASBM is only one part of a series of new Chinese weapons that threaten the region.
"When we add the ASBM to the PLA's growing anti-satellite capabilities, growing numbers of submarines, and quite soon, its fifth-generation fighter, we are seeing the erection of a new Chinese wall in the western Pacific, for which the Obama administration has offered almost nothing in defensive response." What do you mean nothing? The man has offered us hope, I tell you! HOPE!
"Clearly, China's communist leadership is not impressed by the administration's ending of F-22 production, its retirement of the Navy's nuclear cruise missile, START Treaty reductions in U.S. missile warheads, and its refusal to consider U.S. space warfare capabilities. Such weakness is the surest way to invite military adventurism from China."
Mr. Fisher said the Pentagon should mount a crash program to develop high-technology energy weapons, like rail guns and lasers in response to the new ASBMs. All we have to do is get the Chinese to pay for it.
Mark Stokes, a retired Air Force officer who has written extensively on the new missile, said the new deployment is a concern.
"China's ability to place at risk U.S. and other nations' maritime surface assets operating in the western Pacific and South China Sea is growing and closer to becoming a reality than many may think."
#1
"China's ability to place at risk U.S. and other nations' maritime surface assets operating in the western Pacific and South China Sea is growing and closer to becoming a reality than many may think."
Why do we need costly "maritime surface assets?" What have we left to protect? China owns us now, let them protect us. We've let them provide everything else!!!! [sarc off]
#2
From what I have seen from Strategypage and other sources, the FD-21 has been encountering some real snags. Engines blowing up, maneuvering computers freezing, etc. Also, if I recall the warhead is guided in through the Chinese version of the GPS and can be jammed or taken out with a PAC-3. The DF-21 is still at least a decade away from being a functional weapon, according to sources I trust.
However, that being said the Chinese are seriously making strides and plays for dominance in Asia and are looking to project their power across the globe and push the US out of the way. Like it or not, they are wanting to challenge us militarily and that means a cold war (or a hot race of development towards weapons or something).
I know the military is taking China very seriously, even if Bambi doesn't and they need new programs, technology and weapons to keep their edge against China. No amount of singing Kumbia while holding hands is going to change that. The only other option is to surrender, dismantle our military and pray our enemies don't want to take over the United States.
#4
"The DF-21 is still a decade away..." > Thats a function of how much CHINA is willing to $$$ payout to International Perts, etc. to correct the Probs. "MONEY WAS NOT AN OBJECT/PROBLEM", as the saying goes, for the USSR + Other during the Cold War.
China is planning to deploy more Subs + desires to dev LR UAVS, USVS STRIKE PLATFORMS.
IFFA NEW KOREAN WAR BREAKS OUT 2011-2012, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT KIND OF INTERIM = STOPGAP MEASURES CHINA WILL DO TO DETER THE USN CVBGS, ESPEC IN NORPAC. Many Chin Netters are still in favor of PLA PREEMPTIVE NUCLEAR STRIKES, espec agz JAPAN + USFJ - Once the final decision to go to war is made, that CHINA SHOULD BE AFRAID TO USE ITS NUCLEAR, ETC. ADVANTAGES WHILE THE BULK OF US MILFORS REMAIN FAR AWAY
IN EASTPAC + CONUS.
IMO A NEW KOREAN WAR IS LIKELY IFF THE DPRK DOESN'T GET ITS ANTI/NON-CHINESE-DOMINATED FREE TRADE ZONES [FTZ-EEZ-SEZ], + IFF CHINA DOES NOT GET ITS "WARM-WATER" PORTS NOR TOTE US MIL WITHDRAWAL FROM ROK + JAPAN [Taiwan?]IN EXCHANGE FOR INTER-KOREAN MERGER + FORMAL REUNIFICATION.
I'm not convinced STARVING = ECON-TRUBLED NORTH KOREA can hold out 2012-2015/2020 in the absence of MASSIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN CHINESE + INTERNATIONAL AID ["unconditional" internat donations].
#5
See also SIMILAR > DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS = CHINA MISSLE SHIFTS POWER IN PACIFIC.
and
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > CHINA'S ARMY EYES FOR QUICK MODERNIZATION | MILITARY MUST BE SELF-RELIANT: DEFENSE MINISTER.
and
* DEFENCENET.GK > MINES + TORPEDOES WID NUCLEAR WARHEADS DEPLOYED BY NORTH KOREA.
versies
* WAFF > [CSMonitor] JAPAN + SOUTH KOREA AS ALLIES SOMEDAY?
ARTIC = US is pushing NIPPON/YAMATO + KORYE to increase bilateral cooperation in the wake of recent mil incidents as per North Korea.
* PEOPLES DAILY FORUM > RUSSIA BUYS WARSHIPS [French MISTRAL-class Amphibs] FOR GARRISONING [former Japanese] "NORTHERN TERRITORIES".
RUSS CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF = MISTRALS may be used to REINFORCE RUSS MIL STRENGTH in RFE + FORMER JAPANESE KURILES.
Again, RUSSIA'S DECLARATION OF FORMAL SOVEREIGNTY OER THE JAPAN-CLAIMED "NORTHERN TERRITORIES" still comes down to RUSS SCO-CSTO ALLY + "STRATEGIC PARTNER" CHINA HAVING TO ASK RUSS PERMISSION FOR MAJOR PLA AIR, NAVAL, + LR MISSLE, ETC. UNITS/ASSETS TO PASS THRU THE NOW-RUSSIAN KURILES INTO NORPAC + WESTPAC.
* DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > CHINA TO START PRODUCTION OF TU-22M3 BOMBERS, aka "Chinese/PLA BACKFIRES" espec as for ALCM, LACM, NACM Strike Platform + interdiction.
* SAME > CHINA PUSHES [Hainan indigenous]] ISLANDERS ASIDE.
Beijing's desired dev + transformation of HAINAN ISLANDS into CHINA'S "HAWAII/PEARL HARBOR OF THE EAST" [Urbanz, $$$ Tourism + PLA Milbases], VERSUS PRO-TRADITION, PRO-ENVIRON, ANTI-MAINLANDER-N-TOO-RAPID-DEV INDIGENOUS "LI" ISLANDERS.
#6
Answer me this. The US and ChiComs are on the brink of conflict or the conflict has already started. Chicoms launch a ballistic missile at a US carrier group. How does the US not respond to a suspected nuclear strike against the group in retaliation to the ballistic missile launch? Do the Chicoms call the US and tell them its not a nuke? Seems to me the US has to respond on launch of suspected nuke attack on a capital ship? No?
#7
Hellfish, if we had a REAl president, you can bet your a$$ we would respond; sadly with the present waffler in chief the best we can hope for is that he will go on vacation ( and probably bow ( curtsey?) to the bell boy)
what a POS he is.
AMMAN - Jordan has destroyed 83,000 out of 136,000 landmines it laid along the border with Syria in the 1970s, an official said on Monday.
The kingdom removed 83,000 landmines on the Jordanian-Syrian border under a project that started in 2008, said Mohammed Breikat, head of the National Committee for Demining and Rehabilitation.
The project, conducted by the Norwegian Peoples Aid under the supervision of the NCDR, aims at clearing 10 kilometres (3.8 square miles) of land or 93 minefields, he was quoted as saying by the state-run Petra news agency. The land can be used for agriculture and investment.
Breikat said more than 200 people were working on the project, as he announced Japan had donated his organisation 357,000 dollars to clear the anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.
Jordan began clearing minefields as early as 1993, one year before it signed a peace treaty with Israel. The desert kingdom then had more than 300,000 landmines strewn across its territory, most of them in the Jordan Valley next to Israel, and also near its eastern border with Iraq and northern border with Syria. Most of the mines were laid during successive Israeli-Arab conflicts.
These were meant to keep the Syrians out in the 1970s when the Syrians were judged to be a bigger threat than the Israelis.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/28/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Steve how interesting that they deployed mines on the Syrian border. I don't remember a skirmish between them but I do remember the King beating down the Paleos that tried to overthrow him. Perhaps they King knew of Syrian support.
#2
There was a big armored fight in 1970, CyberSarge. It was an after-affect of the great Palestinian uprising of that year, the so-called "Black September". The Syrians sent an armored division over the border during the chaos, kicked the local Royalist ground forces around, then got plastered by Jordanian air support & tucked tail for home. This was a big part of why Jordan was *not* a combatant in the Yom Kippur War three years later.
Posted by: Mitch H. ||
12/28/2010 12:45 Comments ||
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It was hardly noticed at the time, but its consequences could be catastrophic. Late last September, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which assigns internet domain names, approved a huge change in the way it operates. Europe and North America will now have five seats on its Board of Directors, instead of ten, and a new "Arab States" region will have five seats as well.
How big a deal is this? ICANN at the same time took a reference to "terrorism" out of its Draft Applicant Guidebook. Why? Because Arab groups complained. And so now jihad terror websites can grow and prosper, as ICANN has removed its own ability to police them.
Under the transnational-happy Obama administration, the U.S. relinquished control of the net at that time. ICANN ended its agreement with the U.S. government.
If not America, who? Now we know the answer to that. The new agreement gave other countries (including dictatorships and rogue nations) and the U.N. the ability to set internet use policies. At the time, I wrote, "[W]atch for Sharia law to find its way into this."
Well, that didn't take long. The ICANN action in September gave the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and other unfriendly nations a prominent internet role -- something they never could get during the administration of George W. Bush.
U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly deteriorated in December, hurt by increasing worries about the jobs market, according to a private report released on Tuesday.
The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes slipped to 52.5 in December from an upwardly revised 54.3 in November. The next "expert" that says that jobs/confidence/spending drops "unexpectedly" gets punched in the bolloxs. We are in a depression, dipshits. Deal with it.
#2
Why do you think they're called the "Stupid Party". HOPEFULLY, that will change with some new people coming into office. I've got high hopes for Allen West.
Unemployment peaked at 25% during the Great Depression, with no safety nets like Social Security and unemployment insurance. Back then poor people starved to death, they didn't get fat. GDP dropped by more than a few percentage points, too. It may be very hard to find a job now, but what's happened thus far is nothing like it was then. It may yet do -- we've another wave of mortgage foreclosures yet to come, we don't seem to have made much progress on unwinding the derivatives problem, and our public debt is making the world very uncomfortable, but we certainly don't seem to be there yet.
#5
Unemployment peaked at 25% during the Great Depression, with no safety nets like Social Security and unemployment insurance.
So they had a true measure of unemployment.
The measure they use today is whether or not people claim unemployment.
And plenty of people have already come to the end of that rope, so they have fallen through the statistical cracks.
There are also those who have given up and decided to take care of grandma. There are those who are underemployed. There are those who have decided that now is a good time to raise kids as an at-home parent instead.
I'm pretty sure we are closer to 15% (or more) than we are to 9.5 or whatever they are claiming.
#6
U6 is 17%. And that 25% is probably calculated more like U6. And unemployment didn't reach 25% until 1933.
Housing prices continue to decline, probably another 10% to go. Problems in the financial industry have not been addressed. Leadership, especially Bernanke, is incompetent. We may not have starvation, but we will have people dying in the streets due to Obamacare.
It will be seen to have been a depression. It just isn't over yet.
#7
Back then poor people starved to death, they didn't get fat.
Do you have stats from non-liberal sources documenting this? My understanding is that the Grapes of Wrath vastly overstated the tribulations of Oklahoman migrants to California. A study of the migrants concluded that hunger wasn't really a problem for them, and most got steady jobs once they got to California. There was a story going around about how Soviet propagandists showed the Grapes of Wrath to domestic audiences as an example of capitalism's inhumanity to man, and all the Russian audiences could talk about was how the US was so rich, even the poor owned automobiles. People who starve to death don't own bicycles or even kitchen utensils, let alone cars. Much of what we "know" about America's past, from Upton Sinclair's screeds, to John Steinbeck's polemics, are lies. The unfortunate thing is that Hitler was right - if a lie is repeated often enough by a trusted source (i.e. a teacher), it will become recognized as the truth.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
China said Tuesday it is reducing the amount of rare earths it will export next year by more than 10 percent -- likely to be an unpopular move worldwide since the minerals are vital to the manufacture of high-tech products.
Richard Fisher, a China military-affairs specialist, said the new ASBM is only one part of a series of new Chinese weapons that threaten the region.
U.S. consumer confidence unexpectedly deteriorated in December, hurt by increasing worries about the jobs market, according to a private report released on Tuesday.
