Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2023 11:06 Comments ||
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#2
In specific, they are Jinchao Wei, aka Patrick Wei, and Wenheng Zhao, aka Thomas Zhao.
The Chinese are past masters in developing passive and active collectors already in place through cultural and family connections, aside from their actual agents and massive "student" populations who bring back overt and covert intellectual property and situational awareness. We are infiltrated at every level of our nation, top to bottom.
#1
I think these are Sikh business owners, and that the 7-11 is a franchise, so they may be relatively immune from retribution by the company. They are most certainly going to be facing serious lawfare, but I cannot imagine a jury who would rule against them, regardless of how the litigant tries to frame their behavior as unwarranted. Sometimes Justice is spelled with a "V".
[Task & Purpose] 2nd Cavalry Regiment soldier killed Tuesday in Germany was remembered as "absolutely the best of us" as a friend and soldier by a former teammate on the West Point rugby team.
1st Lt. Hailey Hodsden, a Texas native and 2021 graduate of the US Military Academy, was killed near the town of Tirschenreuth when the Stryker vehicle she was traveling in was struck by a civilian truck.
Tirschenreuth is about 40 miles from the 2nd Cavalry Regiment’s Rose Barracks in Vilseck, where Hodsden was assigned. The 24-year-old Dripping Springs, Texas, native had been in the unit for a little over a year, according to Army officials.
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Hodsden commissioned as an armor officer from the US Military Academy, where she played rugby. Former teammate 1st Lt. Sydney Dawson, now with the 82nd Airborne Division, told Task & Purpose that Hodsden was "absolutely the best of us. She was one of the most kind and compassionate people I’ve ever met."
According to the Instagram account for the Army women’s rugby team, Hodsden won the team’s Guvi Award as a senior, which Dawson said is given to "the player that has the most positive impacts on those around her."
Hodsden was a platoon leader with the regiment’s 4th Squadron, the Army said in a release.
"Hailey was an exceptional leader," said Lt. Col. Joseph M. Byerly, 4th Squadron Commander. "As the Saber family mourns her loss, we are reminded of the courage and commitment that she displayed each day. She was a true example for others to emulate."
"Lt. Hodsden was well-respected by all who knew and served with her. She was a valued Dragoon and teammate," said Col. Robert S. McChrystal, commander of the 2nd Cavalry Regiment, known as the Dragoons. "We extend our sincerest condolences to her family, friends, and fellow Dragoons."
#1
It's a Covid medication, Floor Wax, AND a Dessert topping!
Posted by: Frank G ||
08/04/2023 11:07 Comments ||
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#2
While on the one hand I don't like remdesivir, on the other...
I don't have the link handy, but I've seen speculation that covid basically was a chimera of the bat viruses they found in Yunnan spliced together with the furin cleavage gene from Feline Infectious Peritonitis. This bit from Cyprus, I think, is a big clue.
This is an interesting idea as to why one might have wanted to engineer a non-canonical FCS into proto-SARS2: they could have been inspired by how a mutated FCS in feline CoVs turns a harmless FECV into a deadly FIPV. Some of those deadly strains had their FCS mutate into PRRAR: https://t.co/cBLexSRU8x
[FoxNews] Kamala Harris repeats the phrase 'our space cooperation' three times in less than 30 seconds.
Kamala Harris delivered a circular statement about "space cooperation" while meeting with Mongolia's Prime Minister.
Vice President Kamala Harris delivered another redundant word salad Wednesday, this time repeating the phrase "space cooperation" over and over.
Harris’s tenure as President Biden’s vice president has been characterized by a series of strangely worded and repetitive public statements.
As she hosted Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai at the White House to discuss tourism, mineral trade, and space exploration, this summit proved to be no exception.
After noting to the head of state that "President Biden and I have each been, since we have been in office, to the Indo-Pacific three times each," Harris spoke in circles about America’s plans to work together with Mongolia on space exploration.
#1
Mongolia will be contributing a foil fabric yurt and a ground exploration vehicle that looks like a shaggy pony eating an N95 mask to the next joint space mission.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
08/04/2023 12:35 Comments ||
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[Highlands Chamber of Commerce] Highlands Heritage Jamboree celebrates and honors the town’s rich and storied history with traditional music, dancing and more!
Join the fun October 14 in Highlands’ Kelsey-Hutchinson Founders Park. Longtime residents, newcomers and visitors will come together to enjoy traditional bluegrass by some of the genre’s most acclaimed musicians, clogging by the award-winning Bailey Mountain Cloggers and a bagpipe performance by the beloved Highlands Bagpipers.
In between performances, head over to the food and beverage tents for a taste of traditional mountain fare. It’s an afternoon celebration you won’t want to miss!
At 5 p.m. enjoy bluegrass music by The Fox Fire Boys.
This event is organized and hosted by the Highlands Chamber of Commerce/Visit Highlands, NC.
[BBC] Globally, experts believe that July will likely be the hottest month on record. Here in Texas, the month saw several cities shatter heat records, with some parts of the state seeing sustained temperatures over 37 C for days on end.
The number of hospitalisations and deaths across Texas during this summer's heatwave remains unclear, but data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Texas Department of State Health Services shows that thousands were treated for heat-related illnesses across the state in June and July.
Officials have said the true total is likely far higher, because of incomplete reporting,
More than 30 people are reported to have died this year, including 11 in Webb County on the Mexican border. Last year, more than 300 people died of heat-related causes, the highest figure in decades.
Efforts to keep residents safe, however, are complicated by the fact that across the state, many workers are unable to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun and heat. In Dimmit County, for example, many workers are employed on farms, or in the oil and gas industry.
"It's hot, but what's to be done? If you don't work, you don't eat," said Juan Gomez, an agricultural worker who lives near San Antonio. Even with ample water and rest breaks, he added, the heat "can really affect you if you don't take care".
Other workers are more dismissive of the dangers.
"It's Texas...it's hot," said Everardo Ramirez, a construction worker. "I'm pretty used to it."
#3
Globally, experts believe that July will likely be the hottest month on record. After they "homogenize" the data it probably will be. Of course 'The Record™' is really less than 100 years worth of accurate data long.
#5
^ Same here, but the media calls it "dangerous heat" every day. Not a single story of anyone here dying from it, and I have not noticed anyone working outside all day behaving any differently from past summers.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
08/04/2023 7:28 Comments ||
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#6
/\ ....but the media calls it "dangerous heat" every day. Not a single story of anyone here dying from it,
#12
It was hotter, way hotter when I was a kid. Then they finished a large number of flood control/ water supply reservoirs (you can also boat and fish there too!) in Central Oklahoma. For some reason it got more humid and the temperature started moderating ...must have been early signs of GerbilWorming Climate Change.
#13
If you want man made climate change, then on the very micro level those islands of blacktop and concrete, aka cities, do mod the environment for their inhabitants. Putting those 'official' temperature gauges right next to A/C exhausts or in the parking lots doesn't help either.
NH is great temp wise. We're currently getting a thunder storm here in New London. We've not had much heat to speak of this summer though the humidity has been nasty...especially with all the smoke from Canada.
[TFB] Frontier Armory is a leading source of African firearm parts. In addition to their array of imported parts, they are also creating a US-made reproduction Halbek device. What is a Halbek device, exactly? The legendary Ian McCollum at Forgotten Weapons made a great video explaining what it was and how it worked. Go to TFB to watch the video.
If you didn’t watch the video, the Halbek device was used in Rhodesia on their FAL rifles. It is a steel muzzle brake that slips over the flash hider of the FAL. A locking mechanism secures it in place by locking around the barrel. Frontier Armory has tested and verified the fit on the DSA SA58, which is the main FAL option on the US market. There have been many, many different FAL muzzle devices made over the years though, and some may have fitment issues if they were not manufactured to spec.
Actual Halbeks are both rare and expensive, so most Rhodesian FAL clones lack one. Frontier Armory’s version is made in the USA and costs $169.99. They are in stock and available for purchase now. It also features a lifetime warranty for manufacturing issues.
From the manufacturer:
US-made Halbek device. They are based off the original Halbek device. Picture 3 shows the device mounted on a FAL rifle. The Halbek device pictured is a prototype, the final one will look more refined.
Specs:
1:1 copy of the original Halbek device.
made out of steel
coated in grey
will fit FAL rifles that do not have a 16″ bipod-cut barrel
Made in the US
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
08/04/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
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[Jpost] Many European countries looked to Israel for upgrading their defense in the shadow of new threats posed by Russia.
The Defense Ministry on Thursday night announced that the US had approved its sale of the David's Sling medium-range missile defense system to Finland for €316 million.
Calling the deal "historic," the ministry said that it, and the quasi-private sector producer Rafael, would soon hold a signing ceremony.
A statement from the ministry said that the US State Department had just recently notified Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Director-General Eyal Zamir, and Director of the (MAFAT) DDR&D Division Danny Gold, of the approval.
The US approval was needed as its missile defense organization and the American Raytheon defense firm were joint partners in developing David's Sling.
Israel is also far along the road to a sale of the Arrow 3 system to Germany.
Many European countries have looked to Israel for upgrading their defense in the shadow of new security threats posed by Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
Further, David's Sling had very public and positive performances during the recent Gaza War in May.
Zamir stated, "[The Defense Ministry] will closely cooperate with the US government throughout the entire process. We are hopeful that Finland's expression of confidence in the Israeli missile defense system, along with the American approval of the sale, will encourage additional European countries to enhance cooperation with Israel's defense establishment and defense industries."
In addition, Gold added that David's Sling "has been operational since 2017 and plays a significant role in the State of Israel's multi-tiered air and missile defense array. We take pride in Finland's choice of the Israeli-American system and are pleased by the United States' approval to move forward."
[BBC] An Italian police dog named ‘Elio’ has thwarted a cash smuggling attempt by sniffing out over €1,075,600 (£925,000) stashed in two suitcases while on patrol at a bus station near Florence.
Authorities said the owner of the bags was a Chinese national residing in Italy, and a formal investigation has been launched.
Taking home the profits from the designer clothing and leather goods sweatshops before the next round of Covid infections are brought back by the workers after they visit the family in the Olde Countrie for the Chinese New Year.
[Jpost] A cell phone hacking system produced by the Israeli Cellebrite company has been sold to Pakistan on multiple occasions, Haaretz reported on Thursday.
Cellebrite produces a system called a Universal Forensics Extraction Device (UFED) which allows law enforcement to access data from password-protected smartphones, drones, SIM cards, SD cards, GPS devices, and more, according to the company's website.
Cellebrite's Terms and Conditions prohibit "directly or indirectly" using or reselling its systems in a number of sanctioned countries, including Pakistan. But according to Haaretz, international shipment records show that, until at least 2019, Cellebrite Asia-Pacific Pte (a subsidiary of Cellebrite in Singapore) sold products directly to companies in Pakistan and the country's Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).
Cellebrite responded to the Haaretz article, writing "The company does not sell to Pakistan, directly or indirectly." The company did not explain the documents published in the report.
A number of Israeli hacking systems have ended up in countries that have been sanctioned or condemned for human rights violations.
Earlier this year, Haaretz reported that a number of Israeli spyware and surveillance tools had been sold to Bangladesh, including Cellebrite systems.
PAKISTAN AND ISRAEL DO NOT HAVE OFFICIAL RELATIONS
Pakistan does not have official relations with Israel, although secret talks have reportedly been conducted between the two countries in the past.
Last year, Pakistani media reported that diplomatic delegations from Pakistan and Indonesia were both in Israel for secret visits.
Pakistain does not have diplomatic ties with Israel and Cellebrite says it only sells its products to legitimate law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, Islamabad has been using the tool at least since 2012, the report says, citing Pak tender documents reviewed by the paper.
Pakistain’s Federal Investigation Agency apparently purchased the machines via a third party in Singapore, the report says.
Petah Tikva-based Cellebrite was reportedly the company the FBI used in 2016 to hack into the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter after Apple refused the US government’s request to build a backdoor into its famously secure operating system.
Cellebrite’s technology does not work remotely. It requires a specially designed device to be physically connected to the phone being hacked.
[War Zone] Encounters with small unidentified "objects," sometimes in swarm-like groups of as many as eight. Sightings of other objects, including some characterized as drones, flying at altitudes up to 36,000 feet and as fast as Mach 0.75. Another apparent small drone actually hitting the canopy of an F-16 Viper causing damage. These incidents and many more, all occurred in or around various military air combat training ranges in Arizona since January 2020.
The events are described in reports from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) filed over roughly a three-year period. Overall, the data points to what are often categorized as drones, but many of which are actually unidentified objects, as well as what do appear to be drones, or uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), intruding into these restricted warning areas with alarming regularity.
Marc Cecotti, a contributor to The War Zone, has been able to obtain additional partially redacted reports about a number of these incidents from the U.S. Air Force's Safety Center via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that provide additional insights. Cecotti, together with Adam Kehoe, another one of our contributors, had first begun to notice a clustering of reports of unusual aerial encounters in southwestern Arizona back in 2021. An interactive online tool they created for The War Zone that leverages the FAA's public database of drone-related incident reports helped highlight that trend.
#1
Having seen videos from CCP and Japan of drone swams of 500+ putting on computer controlled display shows. What is to keep any country from refitting mini drones ($100 ea) for military use? Imagen trying to defend against a swam of 50k that only costs $5,000,000 to field in combat and A.I. to deploy?
#5
Having seen videos from CCP and Japan of drone swams of 500+ putting on computer controlled display shows.
I saw one in Cincinnati a few years ago — set to music, no less — at our biennial downtown light show. All the pleasures of a corps de ballet performance without the ego issues.
#7
I just saw a drone display at the last two Dead & Co shows in San Francisco. Astounding what they can do. Watching it made me think about the obvious military applications of a coordinated drone swarm.
#9
New cameras circa 2015 and newer are capturing these things frequent enough. Lot's of reported activity over Marina del Rey, California too (youtube). Here's one of the best uap captures that I've seen recently - Utah.
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.
[YouTube] Two 
[Task & Purpose] 2nd Cavalry Regiment soldier killed Tuesday in Germany was remembered as "absolutely the best of us" as a friend and soldier by a former teammate on the West Point rugby team.
