[Unlimited Hangout] Two corrupt companies were in rocky financial territory just a few weeks ago. Now, with concerns over a global monkeypox outbreak being hyped by media and global health organizations alike, the worries — and sins — of these two firms are quickly being forgotten.
In recent days, concern over a global outbreak of monkeypox, a mild disease related to smallpox and chickenpox, has been hyped in the media and health ministries around the world, even prompting an emergency meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO). For some, fears have centered around monkeypox being the potential "next pandemic" after Covid-19. For others, the fear is that monkeypox will be used as the latest excuse to further advance draconian biosecurity policies and global power grabs.
Regardless of how the monkeypox situation plays out, two companies are already cashing in. As concern over monkeypox has risen, so too have the shares of Emergent Biosolutions and SIGA Technologies. Both companies essentially have monopolies in the US market, and other markets as well, on smallpox vaccines and treatments. Their main smallpox-focused products are, conveniently, also used to protect against or treat monkeypox as well. As a result, the shares of Emergent Biosolutions climbed 12% on Thursday, while those of SIGA soared 17.1%.
For these companies, the monkeypox fears are a godsend, specifically for SIGA, which produces a smallpox treatment, known by its brand name TPOXX. It is SIGA’s only product. While some outlets have noted that the rise in the valuation of SIGA Technologies has coincided with recent concerns about monkeypox, essentially no attention has been given to the fact that the company is apparently the only piece of a powerful billionaire’s empire that isn’t currently crumbling.
That billionaire, "corporate raider" Ron Perelman, has deep and controversial ties to the Clinton family and the Democratic party as well as troubling ties to Jeffery Epstein. Aside from his controlling stake in SIGA, Perelman has recently made headlines for rapidly liquidating many of his assets in a desperate bid for cash.
#3
Oh for Heaven's Sake, my post from yesterday. Avoid sex with suspect people and you don't need a f*cking mask.
"It spreads from one person to another through prolonged close contact (by inhaling the infected droplets), or direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated objects, such as bedding or clothes. It does not spread via casual contact. Pitted scars and/or areas of lighter or darker skin may remain after scabs have fallen off."
[Sydney Herald] London: The World Health Organisation said it expects to identify more cases of monkeypox as it expands surveillance in countries where the disease is not typically found.
As of Sunday, 92 confirmed cases and 28 suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported from 12 member states that are not endemic for the virus, the UN agency said, adding it will provide further guidance and recommendations in coming days for countries on how to mitigate the spread of monkeypox.
"Available information suggests that human-to-human transmission is occurring among people in close physical contact with cases who are symptomatic", the agency added.
#9
Reports are coming out the monkeypox was one of the virus' Wuhan was working on. Stranger than that, didn't one of the covid variants originate in Africa like the monkeypox variant has?
#10
Another novel disease of filth we can thank gay men for. Thanks homos! How many innocents died in their last plague?
Globohomos strike again
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/23/2022 10:34 Comments ||
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#11
There are some good reads on Monkey Pox, where its from, and how it transmits. We did have 50 plus folks in the US get it a few years ago. Transmitted from monkeys, to animals in pet stores, to prairie dogs, and on to hunters in the mid West. While it is related to small pox and chicken pox, it is not as deadly as we are being led to believe. This is why they tout infection rates not death rates. The transmissibility rate on this virus is very low, I think the term is RA (?), but it sits at a 1 on their scale. To compare with COVID, which sits at a 7 to 10 on the scale. So it does not scale to be pandemic in quality of transmission. That also explains the initial groups getting it. Close proximity, fluid sharing, etc... Its not a gay mans disease BL, and knowledge, not finger pointing is what we need here. The shot for this is again, experimental because it was not tested on humans, only animals. This because there were not enough people willing to do the test groups. The vaccine is a but more dangerous with side effects than acceptable. All in all this is not a great problem.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/23/2022 10:38 Comments ||
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#12
I assume that the scary rash pictures are from extreme cases or they would be showing us scarier pictures.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/23/2022 11:05 Comments ||
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#13
“Apparently this strain of Monkeypox is a pain in the ass”. That comment “stinks”. LOL
Bertie Lumumba1577, since it was reported yesterday that some of those contracting the disease were bisexual, from my perspective it appears more a disease of promiscuous men behaving carelessly... and as no doubt women are already being caught up in it, a straightforward disease of promiscuity, like body lice or things no longer cured by penicillin.
[Breitbart] Answers were split to the question of whether respondents were "pro-life" or "pro-choice," as 27 percent identified as "pro-life," while 35 percent said "pro-choice," and 23 percent said "both."
Similarly, respondents were split on when they believe abortion should be illegal, as 11 percent said it should "never be allowed," and 29 percent said it should only be legal in special circumstances such as preserving the life of the mother. Another 31 percent said abortion should be legal with some restrictions, such as late term abortion, and 29 percent said it should be legal with no restrictions whatsoever.
However, when it comes to what people believe abortion is, specifically, a plurality — 45 percent — acknowledge that abortion is the "same as murdering a child." Of those, 30 percent "strongly agree" and 15 percent "somewhat agree." Forty-three percent feel otherwise, including 30 percent who "strongly" disagree and 13 percent who "somewhat" disagree.
Most Democrats, 61 percent, do not agree that abortion is the same as murdering a child, and 43 percent of independents hold the same sentiment. The majority of Republicans, 67 percent, believe that abortion is the same as murdering a child, and 44 percent of independents agree.
The survey was taken May 15-17, 2022, among 1,500 U.S. adult citizens, and comes as pro-abortion activists continue to protest in reaction to the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, which, if it becomes final, would give the power to determine abortion laws back to the states.
A Convention of States Action/Trafalgar Group poll released this week also found that a plurality of likely voters say they trust their governor and state legislature to decide abortion laws, rather than the federal government.
#2
If time travel ever becomes practical, it will be fun to sentence certain types to travel back to before the moment of their birth with the understanding that they "might" be aborted.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/23/2022 8:22 Comments ||
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#3
I don’t think any of the 11% would consider terminating a tubular pregnancy to be performing an abortion. That stuff just segments the numbers in a misleading way.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
05/23/2022 10:56 Comments ||
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#4
Push OTC birth control to make abortion typically unnecessary
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/23/2022 11:52 Comments ||
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#5
/\ Should be made available here, in 'take-away' packets with mail-in coupons for re-supply.
#4
2016 ripped the mask off the oligarchy. It's been fighting ever since to reestablish what little shred of legitimacy it still has left in calling itself a republic.
#5
It is something they are using to further divide us. This will never get passed the supreme court. Abdicating power to a foreign element is never gonna pass the courts, stacked or not.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
05/23/2022 8:58 Comments ||
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#6
...only because of their own jealous assumptions of powers.
#7
All part of linking the world together, piece by piece.
Of course we must be given no voice, because it's not in our interest. The only interest it serves is those already powerful - they get even *more* power. It's intoxicating and addictive, and they can never get enough.
#9
Russia's Foreign Ministry has sent to the Duma a list of Russia's agreements with international organizations for their possible denunciation. Exit from the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will be considered, said State Duma Deputy Speaker Pyotr Tolstoy.
"Russia has withdrawn from the Council of Europe, and now it's time to withdraw from the WTO and the WHO, which have neglected all their obligations toward our country."
Posted by: Billy Budd ||
05/23/2022 11:35 Comments ||
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House-to-house searches recommenced in Herat. Additional checkpoints have been established, and sources report that commuters are receiving extra scrutiny. Citizens are primarily being asked about their work history and which is their “home” province. It is believed they are continuing to look for former military members and northerners. Afghans from northern provinces are encouraged to conceal where they are from, if possible.
Several non-Pashtun Taliban unit commanders serving in Panjshir were apparently snubbed and not allowed to meet with the visiting Minister of Defense. A scuffle between the Minister’s bodyguards and an alleged Uzbek Taliban commander was filmed, during which the Uzbek Commander was reportedly humiliated and forced to surrender his weapon and a cell phone.
CONFLICT TRACKER
National Resistance Front (NRF) in Panjshir: Taliban Red Unit Commander Mawlawi Ghaweer reportedly killed in Paryan district.
NRF in Panjshir: Column of seven trucks reportedly looking for a missing detachment of Taliban fighters ambushed. The NRF claims to have killed 8 Talib fighters. A source claims the Talibs only speak Urdu, are TTP augmentees.
Unknown in Parwan: 3 Talib security personnelreportedly killed at an unlnown checkpoint by Resistance snipers.
The linked blog is written by a Russian military blogger known, according to military journalist Boris Rozhin, due to his (Cat Ivanov's)reportage from the start of the war in 2014. (I didn't know about him. It was August, 2014 when I first followed Rozhin, and then later wrote from other reports including official reports.)
The updates are weekly. You click on the map to show more data. The author (Cat Ivanov) has written in sliders to the map to take you to whatever date and date range you want to see.
Since the subject is so sensitive in some circles, I disclaim any accuracy as to the data. You get to judge.
Following text is from the author:
1 The use of drones at the tactical level is definitively becoming the norm of the NWO. The performance of artillery corrected from drones like Mavic3 is close to high-precision weapons and even surpasses them in some ways. There is an opportunity inaccessible to Orlans and others to work out point targets, up to one fighter, opening bunkers and dugouts to move drugs (see video in the Avdievka area on the Avdeevka-Konstantinovka highway).
2 The bunkers of Azovstal were empty. All the “zahisniks” surrendered (it’s not very clear why they took personal belongings with them - everything will be given out in prison)
3 The pushing and grinding of the enemy continues in the directions of Barvenkovo, Liman, Severodonetsk, New York, Soledar, Gorskoye.
Please help with reposts and popularization of this project in LiveJournal and Telegram:
The is really a fascinating overview of the role of the forward air controller in the Russian military.
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin in italics.
[ColonelCassad] Interesting material about the work of aviation gunners, whose work usually remains in the shadows.
On cooperation with aviation
The widespread use of aviation in modern armed conflicts necessitates commanders of all levels to ensure continuous interaction between infantry units and crews of aircraft and helicopters. To do this, a forward aviation gunner (hereinafter PAN) from the VKS can be attached to units (groups), and in his absence, an emergency PAN from among the personnel can be assigned. This review article will not describe the method of work of this specialist, but only indicate some of the nuances that must be understood and taken into account before starting to work together with aviation. VKS is Russian acronym for aerospace forces. Thanks to SteveS for the reminder
First, a little theory. There is the concept of "guidance", and there is the concept of "target designation." Usually, when it comes to air guidance, non-core experts confuse them with each other. Guidance is the work of the combat crew of the aviation control center to bring the aircraft to a tactically advantageous position relative to the target for the most efficient use of aviation weapons (hereinafter ASP), or other tasks (for example, landing groups from helicopters by landing method).
Target designation (hereinafter referred to as TA) is the provision of information to the crew about the location and nature of the target. The guidance process implies a control center, but is not limited to it. I will not give the guidance method itself here. In this review article, only some important nuances of visual control of an aircraft (hereinafter aircraft) when pointing at a ground target (hereinafter NC) will be voiced, as the most accessible and does not require any special technical means, in addition to a radio station. An automated control center of the KRUS type, as well as guidance based on air situation indicators, will not be considered here. KRUS
So, we figured out what is the difference between guidance and CC. When guiding an aircraft (hereinafter referred to as AC) to a ground target (hereinafter referred to as NC), PAN must first of all take into account:
– aircraft maneuverability (in terms of maneuvers available to this type of aircraft, as well as in terms of speed characteristics);
– type of applied ASP;
- the nature of the target (single / area, armored / unarmored, etc.);
- terrain, vegetation, characteristic landmarks;
- availability of air defense systems;
– weather conditions, azimuth of the Sun.
Having assessed all these conditions in the aggregate, the PAN develops a decision on the order of guidance of the aircraft. First of all, it includes the course and height of reaching the target, the maneuver for the attack and the side of the withdrawal from the attack.
All this is reported to the crew by radio. At the same time, the radio exchange in air radio networks differs from the ground. The main requirement is brevity and unambiguity.
You can not clog the air with unnecessary phrases, parasitic words, curses; units of measurement are not mentioned, as is the word "reception". There is only one reason - the situation can change very quickly, there can be not only one crew on this channel, but the whole squadron, and the extra "clogging" of the air will only interfere with the task. For example: “703rd, the target is a group of infantry, from the 1st landmark with a heading of 200, 2 minutes, to 100, work from the horizon with artillery, after work exit to the right.” The author used the word Gvozda (which translated into nail (used in the dative case)), which is the name of a mobile artillery gun, 152mm.
Tangents is the main weapon of the PAN.
It is very important to understand that the decision of the PAN is not an unrelenting dogma for the crew; based on their level of training, remaining fuel and the availability of ASP, the crew may deviate from the originally planned guidance.
Forcing the crew to comply is strictly prohibited! Here we directly approach the first important point - the level of crew training. Many do not understand that the combat use of aviation is not “arrived and dropped a bomb”, but serious work in which many factors must be taken into account - and which are strictly regulated by aviation documents.
First, the weather conditions. There are different application conditions for different types of ASP: drop/fire speed, exit height, etc.
The Su-25SM will not be fired by NARs in a dive if the height of the continuous cloud base is 100 m, not to mention the fact that not every crew is capable of performing tasks in such weather. It is important to understand that these are not the "whims" of the aviators, but serious moments, the failure to comply with which may be fraught with the loss of the aircraft, or the use of ASP on their own troops.
During the Chechen wars, there were frequent cases when the command forced to bomb the positions of militants with uncontrolled FABs from behind the clouds, out of sight of the earth. Of course, the effectiveness of such an application was minimal, and cases of arrivals on their own are not uncommon. The same applies to the performance of auxiliary tasks, for example, the transport of troops and cargo.
The weather can worsen to such conditions that the crew simply cannot cope with, and stick into the ground along with the passengers. Therefore, before work, it is necessary to give the crew information about the weather in the target area. If the weather conditions are not suitable for the work of the crew, he will tell you about it.
A common misconception is the "all-weather" aviation.
Just because it's all-weather doesn't mean it can fly through thunderstorms, hail and fog. An example of issuing information about the weather: "703rd, I am a KIT, over the target 3-5 points of medium cloudiness, the lower limit is 600, visibility is 5, a slight haze."
The most important meteorological elements in this case are: cloud base and flight visibility; for a helicopter landing approach, it is also necessary to give the direction and speed of the wind. Visibility is determined visually by ground references, the lower boundary of the clouds - visually or according to reports of other crews, meteorological data; direction and speed of the wind - visually according to landmarks, or smoke from the checker.
You should be aware that flight visibility may slightly differ from ground visibility in the direction of deterioration, and also that the direction of the wind is given out from where it blows, in degrees and with gusts (desirable). For example: “703rd, landing clear, wind 240, 3 meters, gusts up to 7."
Helicopters usually land against the wind. If the approach against the wind is not provided, it is necessary to take into account its maximum allowable values for this type of aircraft. For example, for the Mi-8AMTSH tailwind should be no more than 5 m/s, side wind no more than 10 m/s; side wind is better on the right. Forcing the crew to enter into the wind more than allowed threatens to get into the left rotation, or even to cut the tail boom with their own main rotor.
An equally important point is with the azimuth of the Sun. It can be calculated using the simple formula (t-2)*15, where t is the local time. For example, at 12 o'clock the azimuth of the Sun will be (12-2) * 15 = 150 degrees. You need to know this in order to build a direction for an attack: if the enemy has a MANPADS, the exit from the attack should be done towards the Sun in order to bring down the GOS control center. Of course, information about the presence of air defense systems in the enemy is brought to the crew in advance, as well as the facts of launches against him.
As for the maneuverability and speed characteristics of the aircraft, the PAN also needs to have some minimal knowledge of aerodynamics and piloting features in order to build a competent guidance scheme. The nature of the available ASP determines the nature of the maneuvers performed over the target, because different ASPs have different conditions in terms of altitudes, speeds and patterns of use.
Also, the flight weight of the aircraft can impose restrictions on maneuvers: the Su-34, loaded with bombs, will not be able to hit the target from the loop (if this is necessary for some reason, of course), and helicopters will not fire NARs from the hover mode, because. their trajectory will be unstable due to the low initial speed. Therefore, the nature of the performed figures from the PAN can only be advisory in nature, and the crew, based on the information received, can make their own adjustments. What is important for PAN to know is the turning radii, the distance traveled per unit of time and fuel consumption in order to quickly assess the flight time and time for work.
Especially perverted radii and distances can be calculated on the NL-10m, but you can also use navigation calculators, which are many on the net. Fuel and tactical radius specifications, as well as acceptable wind strengths for helicopter landings, are specified in the aircraft type flight manuals, and these figures must be known and recorded in advance.
Here we smoothly move on to equipment. I will not encourage anyone to take this or that platen, or this or that radio station; everyone defines their equipment based on the task, and enumerating a list of everything will take a lot of space and time. I will dwell on only two things for now: these are reference data, and a headset for a radio station.
The second is highly desirable in the format of active headphones. On the one hand, the work of the PAN on the air is very attractive to the mortars. On the other hand, not a single crew report should go unheeded, each request can be of critical importance, as well as each given command.
Often, an executive team late for 2-3 seconds can disrupt successful guidance. PAN must be the eyes of the crews on the ground, and in order to work quickly and accurately, it is necessary to have a minimum supply of reference material on hand. It should include:
- a notepad for notes (a reusable plastic panel is also convenient, on which you can write with a pencil and erase)
- the main weapon of the PAN, in addition to the radio communication button. In the working records, it is necessary to indicate the call signs of the crews, their place, altitudes, the remains of the TSA and fuel, and other operational information. Don't count on memory, write it down!
– tables: turning radii depending on speed; distance traveled per minute from speed; minimum and emergency fuel balances by aircraft types; tactical radii; allowable wind forces for takeoff and landing, etc.;
- a map (diagram) of the combat area with marked reference points and a protractor.
Other data such as coding tables, password numbers, control room callsigns, etc, it is desirable to have such an option that in which case they can be quickly destroyed. The placement of all reference waste paper is optimal in the administrative pouch on the chest; a wrist tablet is also very convenient. When separating equipment, it is important to understand that the main weapons of the PAN are his PTT and his working records.
You should not shove them into the far corner of the crackers, and their placement should provide constant access on the one hand, and ease of use on the other. An informed crew is focused on combat use. An informed PAN, on the other hand, is able to make quick decisions about how to use the crew.
Option to place an administrative pouch with reference documentation
Of course, these are far from all the nuances regarding interaction with aviation. You can talk a lot and for a long time, but the format of this article is an overview, if necessary, you can continue it in the future on more specific issues. What should be understood after reading it is to understand the role of the PAN, to understand that this is not just a “shoot there”, but a tool for maximizing the capabilities of your aviation.
If necessary, anyone can contact the crew, you just need to know the call sign and frequency. But the point is not to give out the CC - the point is to point. It should be built in such a way that the target is destroyed from the very first approach, and this is the main point of the work of the PAN as a specialist. It's easy to learn radio communication. It is difficult to analyze the situation and work out the most competent decision on the order in which the crew will be used. And for this you need to have a large layer of knowledge, from flight laws, and ending with aerodynamics and piloting techniques. Only by developing and improving, you can win. And we have always won.
#1
Going from what I have read in the past about the Soviets, I'd say the author is a rated pilot. Only a pilot would lay claim to the type of knowledge necessary to carry out an air strike.
That said, and given the large number of cruise missile strikes, I suspect that the Russian successes with the ongoing bombardment they are delivering the Ukrainians, most of those strike, especially "precision" strikes are with air controllers with a laser designators.
That means two things. Those long range missiles have a selectable switch that enables them to go to a point, then either follow a preplanned flight path, then seek a laser spot to hit its target, or simply follow the path if a laser spot is not detected.
#2
..most of those strike, especially "precision" strikes are with air controllers with a laser designators.
..or they're using GPS (theirs or ours) and info derived from lousy security and comsec. I'd make a reasonable assumption that Russian satellite assets are focused on the theater now rather than the usual long term surveillance elsewhere. That allows them to focus their attention and exploitations.
#6
badanov, many thanks for the informative article. 'Deconflicting' a battlespace filled with planes, artillery shells and unmanned weapons be hard. Still, what I found interesting was the tone of the article of the article that 'pilots needed to be walked through everything by the hand' by higher command...
#7
You're not going to jump into the old SU-25 and go on a free hunt, as the Russian call it. The costs of ignoring aerial battlespace security is too high, especially now for the Russians.
If you'll remember, the Russians lost about eight aircraft in the War in Georgia, with all but three due to friendly ground fire.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] On the territory of the Russian North, many wooden buildings of bygone times have been preserved, which are an integral part of the reserved land. For the most part, these are temples of the 17th-19th centuries, which are inscribed in the landscape and seem to be striving upward along with the strong trees that surround them.
The problem is that most of them are in disrepair, and we risk losing this part of our heritage forever. But there are people who have chosen to preserve unique wooden buildings as their life's work, they do it for one simple reason - so that the memory of who we are and what real primordially Russian culture looks like is not lost. It is not in slogans and banners, it is in the wooden walls created by our ancestors, in the cultivation of our land and in creative work that unites people for a common cause.
[John Kass] All that's going wrong in Chicago has its' roots in Democrat Politics. Kass , along with Second City Cop (RIP) has been my go-to. HeyJackass has the raw numbers
The Furies of Chicago are hardly ever mentioned all together. And that’s unfortunate, because they deserve to be immortalized, for what Chicago has become. You’ll never see their names together in editorials or in broadcast news commentary from tepid corporate media. But they do have names.
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/23/2022 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[6 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#1
Used to read Kass's editorials and articles in the ChiTown Tribune.
He was about the only voice of reason there when they parted ways last year after 40-odd years.
Posted by: Mullah Richard ||
05/23/2022 8:02 Comments ||
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#2
If Chicago and Illinois want to live like that, I'm fine with it. The problem is, they exported their model to Washington in the form of Bath House Barry. And while our problems as a nation go back to before Clinton (FDR, Woodrow Wilson, take your pick) the race to the bottom started when the "community organizer" came to town.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
05/23/2022 8:08 Comments ||
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[ThePipeline.org] I kind of can’t believe I am finally headed back to Davos after a two-year hiatus. We cancelled and rescheduled, and cancelled, and rescheduled, then moved location…and cancelled anyway. All because… don’t even make me say it—the dreaded you-know-what. All of which I found both maddening and embarrassing. Here we are, the smartest people on the planet… coming together to save the planet and… oops… let’s just cancel, and cancel, and cancel. Like schoolteachers saying there’s no need to teach. I know on this point I depart from my colleagues but let’s be honest; there isn’t a six-year backlog for Gulfstreams because we all sat home.
But never mind any of that… I picked up the slack. One of the projects of the World Economic Forum was to scale-up production of alternative protein sources… otherwise known as bugs. They had committed land and resources to this worthwhile endeavour—the proof of which was meant to coincide with our Singapore conference. But Covid had other plans and neither the conference nor the project got off the ground. Based on stories (with pictures!) from the WEF website, I had planned a series of high-end cocktail parties to introduce these mega-proteins to the glitterati. And only when I went to order, did I find the project had gone bust. It was a near-disaster, saved only by clever little farmers in Thailand and China who had apparently been farming and eating the critters for years.
Deep cleansing breath… and we move on. This year’s conference is so packed full of great ideas—I’m sure this is the reason I can’t get onto the website. I am needing to research because I am receiving one of the Schwab Foundation Awards, and all I can find is a news article saying we have collectively impacted the lives of 100 million people. Hmm. Impressive but truth be told I wanted to see how my picture looked on the site. Also I wanted to see just how many of the 100 million lives the other awardees have impacted.
Miss Kennedy's bio:
Born in British Hong Kong, Ms. Kennedy grew up in London and attended Cheltenham before completing her studies at the University of Southern California. A three-day eventer on the British Olympic equestrian team, Jenny has worked as a dressage coach in Hampshire, Findlay, Southampton, Palm Beach, Hoboken, and La Jolla. She has consulted on multiple commercial shoots, and film projects. She is currently unemployed Follow her @JennyKe07515900
#1
Back in the pre-WWII days the Three Day Event was a competitive, strenuous international cavalry meet. Now more of an excuse to be a yappy mediocrity, sort of the vegans of the horse world.
Sept. 11, 2001, was “The Day the World Changed.” The 2,977 deaths at the hands of al-Qaeda terrorists led to massive policy changes and dominated U.S. politics for years afterward. The United States went to war in Afghanistan to topple the Taliban, and the attacks contributed to the U.S. decision to invade Iraq in 2003. America began an array of aggressive counterterrorism programs, including the use of armed drones to kill suspected terrorists, indefinite detention at the naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and even torture. At home, the U.S. government detained many American Muslims on flimsy pretexts and implemented controversial programs related to surveillance.
Over 20 years later, the effectiveness of these measures, and the threat al-Qaeda poses, remain hotly debated. Leading terrorism experts like Bruce Hoffman have warned that al-Qaeda remains strong, patiently waiting for opportunities to strike while strengthening its global reach. Other leading analysts are skeptical. Barak Mendelsohn and Colin Clarke contend that “al-Qaeda the organization has failed.” In her 2022 threat testimony, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines struck a middle ground, warning that al-Qaeda still aspires “to conduct attacks in the United States” while also noting that its external attack capabilities are “degraded.” With the al-Qaeda threat perhaps in the rearview mirror, President Biden withdrew troops from Afghanistan in 2021 to end the so-called “forever wars” that sprang up in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.
Continued on Page 49
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.
[Unlimited Hangout] Two corrupt companies were in rocky financial territory just a few weeks ago. Now, with concerns over a global 
I know this sounds more than a little conspiratorial, but could research for the cure of HIV have spawned other deadly viral anamolies ? 
Ref #11: This because there were not enough people willing to do the test groups.
"Choice" was exercised here as well. 
/\ Should be made available here, in 'take-away' packets with mail-in coupons for re-supply.
[ThePipeline.org] I kind of can’t believe I am finally headed back to 
