• Obama Supports DNA Sampling Upon Arrest
    Josh Gerstein over at Politico sent Threat Level his piece underscoring once again President Barack Obama is not the civil-liberties Knight In Shining Armor many were expecting. Gerstein posts a televised interview of Obama and John Walsh of America’s Most Wanted. The nation’s chief executive extols the virtues of mandatory DNA testing of Americans upon arre […]
  • Drudge Virus Warning Blasted as Latest Free Speech Incursion
    The unusual e-mail sent to Senate staffers this week warning them not to visit The Drudge Report for fear of a virus has some critics crying foul, suggesting the missive is the latest attempt by Democrats to stifle dissent in the media. The Drudge Report, a popular Web site which aggregates news links, often trumpets [...] […]
  • Chief exorcist Father Gabriele Amorth says Devil is in the Vatican
    Sex abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church are proof that that “the Devil is at work inside the Vatican”, according to the Holy See’s chief exorcist. Father Gabriele Amorth, 85, who has been the Vatican’s chief exorcist for 25 years and says he has dealt with 70,000 cases of demonic possession, said that the consequences [...] […]
  • “Rather than monitoring hate groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center has become one.”
    A funny thing happened on the way to this week’s column — I got “targeted,” “frozen,” “personalized” and “polarized.” In other words, I got lumped in with the majority of Americans as the “radical right” — you know, the scary people who believe in God, the Constitution, family values, and an honest day’s work for an [...] […]
  • UK: Crackdown on dangerous dogs to make microchips compulsory for all
    All dogs are to be compulsorily microchipped so that their owners can be more easily traced under a crackdown on dangerous dogs to be unveiled today. The package will include extending the dangerous dogs law to cover attacks by dogs on private property to protect postmen, and making third-party insurance compulsory so that victims can be [...] […]
  • 11 More U.S. Airports Get Body Scanners
    Transportation officials announced Friday 11 more United States airports will begin receiving full-body imaging machines “By accelerating the deployment of this technology, we are enhancing our capability to detect and disrupt threats of terrorism across the nation,” Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in a statement. Despite concerns of privac […]
  • UK: Spy chips hidden in 2.5 MILLION dustbins: 60pc rise in electronic bugs as council snoopers plan pay-as-you-throw tax
    The growing threat of a stealth tax on the rubbish we throw away was exposed by startling figures yesterday. More than 2.5million homes now have wheelie bins fitted with microchips to weigh their contents. This is an increase of nearly two-thirds in just a year. The bins, which can be electronically identified and weighed, are designed for [...] […]
  • Narus develops a scary sleuth for social media
    Narus is developing a new technology that sleuths through billions of pieces of data on social networks and Internet services and connects the dots. The new program, code-named Hone, is designed to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies a leg up on criminals who are now operating anonymously on the Internet.…Hone works in tandem with NarusInsight. [. […]
  • US Democrats would kill healthcare over abortion
    A dozen House of Representatives Democrats opposed to abortion are willing to kill President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform plan unless it satisfies their demand for language barring the procedure, Representative Bart Stupak said on Thursday. “Yes. We’re prepared to take responsibility,” Stupak said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” when asked if he and his […]
  • Two Pentagon Police Officers Shot – Gunman Killed
    Two police officers at the Pentagon were wounded Thursday evening when a man walked up to the entrance of the complex’s subway station and, without a word, opened fire on them, Pentagon officials said. Policemen patrolled the Pentagon after a shooting in Washington on Thursday. Police officers quickly returned fire, fatally injuring the gunman after hitting […]
  • Police shut down Mariposa hacker ring
    Police, private security experts and internet service providers said on Wednesday they had shut down the Mariposa botnet, one of the largest networks of hacked personal computers discovered. It had siphoned off financial and other information from inside half of the largest 1,000 US companies. Computers using about 12.7m internet addresses in 190 countries w […]
  • Geert Wilders’s party wins seat in Dutch elections
    The Dutch far-right, anti-immigrant politician Geert Wilders has won major gains in local elections in the Netherlands, with preliminary results today indicating he may dominate the political scene in the run-up to the general election in three months. Yesterday’s poll, 10 days after the centrist coalition government collapsed, was seen as a gauge of the pub […]
  • 4 convicted over foiled German terror plot
    Four men were convicted in Germany on Thursday in a foiled terrorist plot against Western targets, court officials said. The men had begun mixing a huge amount of explosive material that could have resulted in a strong blast, bigger than attacks in 2005 on London’s public transport network and the 2004 Madrid railway bombings, authorities said.…Two [...] […]
  • DEMINT: White House land grab
    By Sen. Jim DeMint You’d think the Obama administration is busy enough controlling the banks, insurance companies and automakers, but thanks to whistleblowers at the Department of the Interior, we now learn they’re planning to increase their control over energy-rich land in the West. A secret administration memo has surfaced revealing plans for the federal g […]
  • Microsoft exec pitches Internet usage tax to pay for cybersecurity programs
    A top Microsoft executive on Tuesday suggested a broad Internet tax to help defray the costs associated with computer security breaches and vast Internet attacks, according to reports. Speaking at a security conference in San Francisco, Microsoft Vice President for Trustworthy Computing Scott Charney pitched the Web usage fee as one way to subsidize efforts […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cantaloupe
    Cantaloupes DO cross pollinate with other “melons” like other cantaloupes, musk melons, snake melons and Armenian cucumbers.  Separate therefore from other “melons” by a quarter mile. Choose early ripening, disease free fruits to save seed from. Wash seeds from ripe melons in a strainer, dry on a paper plate or paper sheet. Seeds are ready to store [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Squash and Zucchini
    Squash within the same species DOES cross pollinate, therefore species should be isolated by a quarter mile.  This will also reduce the danger of squash bugs spreading over all the crops if they pester one patch. Seeds should be taken from fruits that have surpassed maturity by 3 weeks already. Remove seed, wash, let dry on paper [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Cucumbers
    Cucumbers DO cross pollinate, so if you want pure seed, separate cucumber varieties from each other by a quarter mile. Seeds should be taken from fruit that has ripened past edible stage and begun to turn yellow and soften.  To get to the seeds, cut the cucumber lengthwise, scoop the seeds out, wash them and dry [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Carrots
    Carrots are biennial, that means, you can harvest seeds only in the second year. Carrots Do cross pollinate, so separate them 1/4 mile from other carrots in the first year.   In the second year, when they are going to seed, separate them also from Queen Anne’s Lace (about 1/4 mile). Dig carrots up before the hard frost [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Peppers
    Peppers DO cross pollinate, so separate varieties by about 500 feet, unless you can plant them in insect proof cages that are covered with window screen. Pick ripe, fully colored fruits that show no sign of disease to save seeds from.  Remove the seed core and place on a paper plate or thick paper sheet to [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Tomatoes
    Tomatoes usually do not cross-pollinate, at least not the modern varieties.  Potato leaf varieties should be separated by the garden’s length though. Pick one ripe fruit of each plant (at least), squeeze the seeds and juice into a strainer.  Then wash the seeds, spread them on a paper plate or thick paper sheet, and dry them. DO [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds: Beans
    Bean flowers are self-pollinating, so the danger of cross pollination is comparatively small.  It’s is recommended to separate different kinds of beans by a garden length though to ensure absolute purity. Save seeds from plants that ripen first and are disease free.  Harvest seed pods reserved for seed saving when they are dried completely.  Crush the [...] […]
  • Saving Seeds
    I know this might come a little early for many of you out there, but I will start a new “series” here, giving information about saving seeds of different plants. I guess you all know that it is not much use to save seed from hybrid plants as you never know what you are getting, but [...] […]
  • Tomato Suckers
    I mentioned suckers in an earlier post, saying that you can pinch them if you wish, but don’t have to – well, some people do not know what a sucker actually is. What is a sucker ? Suckers grow our between a tomato leaf branch and its stem.  If you pinch them off and stick them in [...] […]
  • Planting Cucumbers
    It is a good idea to plant cucumbers in hills so they can vine in peace and do not get too crowded. A week or two after your last frost date, make hills that are 4-5 feet apart from each other on all sides, and approximately 12” in diameter.  Plant 6-8 seeds per hill. After 3 weeks, [...] […]
  • Growing Tomatoes
    As tomatoes are most gardener’s favorite plant, especially but not exclusively amongst beginners, here are a few things that might be worth knowing about growing tomatoes.  If those among you who have decades of tomato growing experiences are unhappy with my information or have things to add, please feel free to comment Basically, all [...] […]
  • Marie Claire: How to plant a window garden
    Via: seattlepi.com 1. At a nursery, pick up seeds, potting soil, and a few small pots or a window box (it must be shorter than the length of your windowsill-measure first!). Get a container at least four to five inches deep with a drainage hole at the bottom. 2. Fill container with soil and place [...] […]
  • Good buys for gardeners
    If you are new to the wonderfully healthy and economical past time of gardening, this list might be interesting to you.  For all those who have been gardening for ages already, maybe you enjoy checking what this lady thinks is essential, and add what’s missing, from your own experience Via: baltimoresun.com By Susan [...] […]
  • The globalisation of addiction
    So here is a study that tells you, basically, that living in the countryside, close to nature, as a producer, instead of a synthetic, stressful environment where people live as consumers only, will prevent addictions, will even cure addictions, will be the best you can do for your children and yourself.  The addictions of our [...] […]
  • Gardening is getting more and more popular
    We finally got our seeds, accompanied by a nice letter from FEDCOs, and what they are telling their customers there did not come as a big surprise to us:  Fedco has had record sales this year, an over 40% growth in seed sales, which adds to the 20% growth they saw last year…  At a [...] […]
  • Planning your vegetable and herb gardens – Tips to save your family money by gardening
    Via: Seattle Garden & Kitchen Examiner A prolific garden can save your family a lot of money Food prices are continuing to rise while more and more products get recalled. It only makes sense that all of us considering ways to raise some of the food we eat. The more we food we raise, [...] […]
  • Have you ordered your seeds yet ?
    You might think it’s weird to think about the gardening season now, but it isn’t.  Even though your garden patch might be buried in snow right now, depending on where you are, you still need to get off your hindquarters and start planning now. 2009 might very well be the year when, for the first time [...] […]
  • Cloth diapers, again
    Just a short note today: We recently talked to a pediatrician who told us that she is seeing a lot more cloth diapers these days than she used to.   Most people are probably using cloth diapers now because they cannot afford throwaway diapers anymore, but it is still difficult to get decent diaper covers in any [...] […]
  • Apple Pie
    I suppose most of you have made millions of apple pies in your time, but if you are looking for a nice online description of how to bake one, I recently found a well made page about how to make apple pie from scratch, with lots of pictures and ingredients for both a lattice and [...] […]
  • An Old-Time “Refridgerator”, Easily Built: The Trash Can Root Cellar
    If you need storage that keeps your food cool without using electricity, a root cellar comes in very handy. There are a tremendous amount of different designs for root cellars out there – check out this site, for example: Root Cellars Their link to the garbage can root cellar is broken though, so here are some basic [...] […]

Military Monitored Planned Parenthood, Supremacists

 
The U.S. military monitored Planned Parenthood and a white supremacist group as part of the government’s security preparations for the 2002 Olympics in Utah, according to new documents released by the Department of Defense.
The U.S. Joint Forces Command liaison collected and disseminated information on U.S. citizens who were members of Planned Parenthood and the white [...]

Ex-Madoff Operations Director Arrested by FBI – CNBC

A former executive for imprisoned swindler Bernard Madoff’s firm was arrested Thursday and charged with concealing the scope of its multibillion dollar fraud and using at least $750 million of investor money to support the company’s trading arm.
The executive, Daniel Bonventre, was described by investigators as the director of operations of the Madoff firm [...]

Three Toyota suppliers raided by Detroit office of FBI

Via: Jalopnik
The FBI just confirmed to us they raided the offices of Yazaki North America, Denso International and Tokai Rika (TRAM). Though all are Toyota supplies they’ve yet to confirm if this is a part of an ongoing probe into Toyota’s 1.4 million unit recall, and a larger antitrust action confirmed by Toyota to [...]

Israel’s assassination policy

TRNN interviews relatives of recently assassinated men in Nablus, Occupied Palestinian Territories.  

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January 20, 2010 — Comparative U.S.-Israeli Homeland Security (0)Download the document ForewordThis report compares United States and Israeli homeland securitypractices. Its purpose is to determine whether there …
January 20, 2010 — FBI broke law for years in phone record [...]

Woman Loses Job Due to Error in FBI Criminal Database

A Maryland woman lost her accounting job after a background check performed through the FBI’s criminal database indicated, erroneously, that she was unsuitable for the job, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Eschol Amelia “Amy” Studnitz had been working for Corporate Mailing Services since August 2008 as a senior accountant.
Last July, after CMS won a contract to [...]

1,600 are suggested *daily* for FBI’s list

Newly released FBI data offer evidence of the broad scope and complexity of the nation’s terrorist watch list, documenting a daily flood of names nominated for inclusion to the controversial list.
During a 12-month period ended in March this year, for example, the U.S. intelligence community suggested on a daily basis that 1,600 people qualified for [...]

State steals kidnapped baby and siblings?

A mother whose newborn was kidnapped by a knife-wielding woman posing as an immigration agent was briefly reunited with her baby Saturday, then saw him and her three other children taken from her and put into state custody.
Rob Johnson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, said the children were taken from their [...]

Attorney: OKC bombing tapes appear edited

Long-secret security tapes showing the chaos immediately after the 1995 bombing of the Oklahoma City federal building are blank in the minutes before the blast and appear to have been edited, an attorney who obtained the recordings said Sunday.
“The real story is what’s missing,” said Jesse Trentadue, a Salt Lake City attorney who obtained the [...]

U.S. mortgage fraud ‘rampant’ and growing-FBI

U.S. mortgage fraud reports jumped 36 percent last year as desperate homeowners and industry professionals tried to maintain their standard of living from the boom years, the FBI said on Tuesday.
Suspicious activity reports rose to 63,713 in fiscal year 2008, which ended last September, from 46,717 the year before. California and Florida, centers of the [...]

‘Serial killer’ sought in South Carolina

 
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office on Friday released a second sketch of a man believed to have fatally shot four people in less than a week near Gaffney, South Carolina.
Police say the suspect may be driving a light-gray or champagne tan 1991-1994 two-door Ford Explorer.
“Let me say that, under the FBI’s definition of a serial [...]

City Wants Surveillance Cameras to Record Every License Plate

Police in North Carolina want to build surveillance cameras that would record every car license that passes by and run it through the FBI’s criminal database, alerting authorities in real time if it finds a match.
The system would store license plate numbers for up to a year to provide authorities with historic data should they [...]

FBI infiltrated Iowa anti-war group before GOP convention

An FBI informant and an undercover Minnesota sheriff’s deputy spied on political activists in Iowa City last year before the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
Confidential FBI documents obtained by The Des Moines Register show an FBI informant was planted among a group described as an "anarchist collective" that met regularly last year [...]

[...]

Ex-Employee Fingered in Texas Power Company Hack

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The FBI is investigating a computer intrusion at a large Texas power company that crippled the firm’s energy forecast system for a day in March, costing it over $26,000.
Early Thursday morning FBI agents raided the home of a former employee of Dallas-based Energy Future Holdings — the corporate parent of three large [...]

[...]

4 arrested in alleged NYC synagogue bomb plot

Four men arrested for an alleged plot to bomb a New York synagogue and Jewish community center are expected to appear in federal court Thursday, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.

The charges are based on information from an FBI informant, the attorney’s office said in a written statement.
The statement said the informant met with Cromitie in [...]

Suspected FBI informant on video at the University of Iowa

As the Des Moines Register reported yesterday, anti-war activists in Iowa City were spied on by at least two law enforcement sources in the lead-up to the 2008 Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.: a female undercover officer from the Ramsey County (Minn.) Sheriff’s Department, and a confidential FBI informant.
The Register could not confirm [...]

Documents: FBI Spyware Has Been Snaring Extortionists and Hackers for Years

A sophisticated FBI-produced spyware program has played a crucial behind-the-scenes role in federal investigations into extortion plots, terrorist threats and hacker attacks in cases stretching back at least seven years, newly declassified documents show.
As first reported by Wired.com, the software, called a "computer and internet protocol address verifier," or CIPAV, is designed to infiltrate [...]

[...]

Veterans a Focus of FBI Extremist Probe

The Federal Bureau of Investigation earlier this year launched a nationwide operation targeting white supremacists and "militia/sovereign-citizen extremist groups," including a focus on veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan, according to memos sent from bureau headquarters to field offices.
The initiative, dubbed Operation Vigilant Eagle, was outlined in February, two months before a memo giving a similar [...]

Chinese National Arrested For Source Code Theft

A Chinese citizen on a work visa in the United States was arrested by the FBI last week for allegedly revealing proprietary software code owned by his unidentified U.S. employer to a Chinese government agency.
Yan Zhu, 31, of Lodi, N.J. — also known as “Westerly Zhu” — was arrested on charges of theft of trade [...]

FBI Helps Loudoun County Sheriff With Ex-CIA Slaying

The FBI has joined the investigation into the death of a Loudoun County man who used to be a contractor for the CIA.
Agents are checking to see if William Bennett has any enemies from his CIA days, sources said.
Deputies found Bennett’s body in a grassy area next to Riverside Parkway early on March 22. His [...]

FBI Helps Loudoun County Sheriff With Ex-CIA Slaying

The FBI has joined the investigation into the death of a Loudoun County man who used to be a contractor for the CIA.
Agents are checking to see if William Bennett has any enemies from his CIA days, sources said.
Deputies found Bennett’s body in a grassy area next to Riverside Parkway early on March 22. His [...]

FBI Chief Urges Renewal of Patriot Act Measures That Will Expire in December

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III urged lawmakers yesterday to renew intelligence-gathering measures in the USA Patriot Act that are set to expire in December, calling them “exceptional” tools to help protect national security.
The law, passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, created divisions between proponents, who said it was necessary to deter [...]

FBI Chief Urges Renewal of Patriot Act Measures That Will Expire in December

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III urged lawmakers yesterday to renew intelligence-gathering measures in the USA Patriot Act that are set to expire in December, calling them “exceptional” tools to help protect national security.
The law, passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, created divisions between proponents, who said it was necessary to deter [...]

FBI Chief Urges Renewal of Patriot Act Measures That Will Expire in December

FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III urged lawmakers yesterday to renew intelligence-gathering measures in the USA Patriot Act that are set to expire in December, calling them “exceptional” tools to help protect national security.
The law, passed shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, created divisions between proponents, who said it was necessary to deter [...]

Agricultural terrorism conference set today

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is joining the FBI today to hold a Virginia agricultural terrorism conference.
The event, being held at the Smithfield Center in Smithfield, will address how the state would respond to an act of terrorism affecting the food supply, veterinary medicine, food processors and other aspects of agriculture.
Topics include [...]

Agricultural terrorism conference set today

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is joining the FBI today to hold a Virginia agricultural terrorism conference.
The event, being held at the Smithfield Center in Smithfield, will address how the state would respond to an act of terrorism affecting the food supply, veterinary medicine, food processors and other aspects of agriculture.
Topics include [...]

Agricultural terrorism conference set today

The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is joining the FBI today to hold a Virginia agricultural terrorism conference.
The event, being held at the Smithfield Center in Smithfield, will address how the state would respond to an act of terrorism affecting the food supply, veterinary medicine, food processors and other aspects of agriculture.
Topics include [...]

Terrorist watch list hits 1 million

The government’s terrorist watch list has hit 1 million entries, up 32% since 2007.
Federal data show the rise comes despite the removal of 33,000 entries last year by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center in an effort to purge the list of outdated information and remove people cleared in investigations.
It’s unclear how many individuals those 33,000 [...]

Terrorist watch list hits 1 million

The government’s terrorist watch list has hit 1 million entries, up 32% since 2007.
Federal data show the rise comes despite the removal of 33,000 entries last year by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center in an effort to purge the list of outdated information and remove people cleared in investigations.
It’s unclear how many individuals those 33,000 [...]

Terrorist watch list hits 1 million

The government’s terrorist watch list has hit 1 million entries, up 32% since 2007.
Federal data show the rise comes despite the removal of 33,000 entries last year by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center in an effort to purge the list of outdated information and remove people cleared in investigations.
It’s unclear how many individuals those 33,000 [...]

U.S. seeks clues 2 years after ex-FBI agent’s disappearance

Two years after a retired FBI agent disappeared in Iran, the State Department said it remains committed to finding him.…
Levinson disappeared during a business trip to Iran’s Kish Island in 2007. Iranian authorities have said repeatedly that they do not know what might have happened to him, but the claim is widely doubted in the [...]

FBI Director: Minnesotan may have been suicide bomber

Source: WDAM.com
The head of the FBI has confirmed that a man from Minnesota may be the first U.S. citizen to carry out a terrorist suicide bombing.
Director Robert Mueller (MUHL’-ur) has told the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington that the man died in an attack last October in northern Somalia.
And Mueller says the man [...]

Allen Stanford found in Virginia

Source:  Reuters
The FBI said Thursday its agents found Texas billionaire Allen Stanford in the Fredericksburg, Virginia, area and served him with court papers accusing him of massive fraud.
FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the Federal Bureau of Investigation acted at the request of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and that Stanford, whose whereabouts had been [...]

FBI Raided Lobbying Firm Connected to Murtha

Source: ABC News
The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.
The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters of the PMA Group in November, according to the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. PMA was founded by former Murtha aide [...]

FBI raids peanut butter plant suspected in outbreak

Source:  CNN.com
FBI agents Monday raided a rural Georgia peanut butter plant suspected as the source of a nationwide salmonella outbreak, a CNN affiliate reported.The Food and Drug Administration launched a probe of Peanut Corporation of America on January 30.
The Food and Drug Administration launched a probe of Peanut Corporation of America on January 30.
The Peanut [...]

Law enforcement to review Tylenol murders

Source:  CNN.com
The FBI announced Wednesday that it is working with Illinois state and local police to review evidence related to the 1982 Tylenol murders.
“This review was prompted, in part, by the recent 25th anniversary of this crime and the resulting publicity,” the FBI said in a written statement.
“Further, given the many recent advances in forensic [...]

Law enforcement to review Tylenol murders

Source:  CNN.com
The FBI announced Wednesday that it is working with Illinois state and local police to review evidence related to the 1982 Tylenol murders.
“This review was prompted, in part, by the recent 25th anniversary of this crime and the resulting publicity,” the FBI said in a written statement.
“Further, given the many recent advances in forensic [...]

New RFID Technology Allows You to be Tracked WITHOUT Your Knowledge

Source:  rfidwizards.com
By invitation, I recently visited a remote facility in northern Virginia to see a demonstration of NOX – a new Intelligent Perimeter Defense system deployed by the FBI that uses covert Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to track people and assets without their knowledge.
That’s right, using RFID to track people without their knowledge. This system [...]