ARTICLE 1
Sky City: China to erect world’s tallest tower in 3 months, building 5 stories a day – Published: 25 November, 2012, 19:00
Proposed Sky City One – 220 Stories
China has embraced the challenge of putting up the world’s tallest building in only 90 days. The 838-meter skyscraper, dubbed Sky City, is set to house 17,400 people as well as a hotel, a hospital, several schools, offices and apartments.
Construction workers from the Broad Sustainable Building company are expected to build at a rate if five stories a day to meet the deadline. To speed the process up, they will reportedly use the ‘prefabrication’ technique in which blocks of the building are constructed offsite and then pieced together.
The skyscraper, located in Hunan Province’s capital Changsha, will feature over 100 high-speed elevators, and is expected to be able to withstand a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.
When completed, the building will be 10 meters taller than the Dubai landmark Burj Khalifa, the world’s current tallest building, which took five years to build. China’s Sky City is set to cost half as much as the Burj – about $630 million.
China-based Broad Sustainable Building will employ several thousand workers for the ambitious project. The company has already built 16 structures in China, including a 30-story hotel constructed in 15 days.
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Half the price at 20 times the speed. What will the building stats look like in another 20 years? Double the height, quarter the price at 200 times the speed? Thats 9 days at $315 million at double height . . . one can imagine high tech light weight reconstituted materials straight from landfills being used by then . . . so if a superhighway connected EVERY single states’ tower . . .
The floorage and ‘balcony-age’ of the pic doesn’t look very impressive though. Perhaps higher ceilings and more balcony space would be more city like, vehicular access via connected ramps right up to the top would then truly mean ‘City’. Without vehicle (or at least some kind of golf cart sized internal vehicle) access, or massive multistorey high ‘green lungs’, and massive multistorey high sky-lobbies the ‘City’ name for any building is but a misnomer.
ARTICLE 2
Royal Mail to step up action against dog owners after more than 3,000 attacks on postal workers in a year – by Daily Mail Reporter – PUBLISHED: 01:54 GMT, 24 November 2012 | UPDATED: 02:00 GMT, 24 November 2012
The Royal Mail pledged today to take more action against owners of dogs that attack postal workers after a new report called for tougher legislation.
The postal group said it will actively pursue legal action against the owners of dangerous dogs and take a more ‘robust’ approach to suspending deliveries to addresses where attacks take place.
The moves follow publication of an independent inquiry into dog attacks on postal staff, which the Royal Mail said numbered more than 3,000 in the year to April.
Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs
Sort it out: Royal Mail are pressing for action after thousands of attacks on its workers by dogs
Former High Court judge Sir Gordon Langley recommended that new legislation should be introduced to provide tougher legal sanctions against owners of dangerous dogs.
The report pointed out that action cannot be taken if an attack takes place on private property, limiting legal protection available to postmen and women.
Guilty of cruelty but not even fined: Circus owner who let Anne the elephant be chained and beaten walks free
The Communication Workers Union (CWU), which has criticised the Government for failing to take action on dangerous dogs, said today’s report should be the catalyst needed to bring action.
The union said the number of postal workers suffering dog attacks was nearer 5,000 a year.
Sir Gordon’s report called on the Government to repeal current legislation and provide a new statute so that legal action can be taken against dog owners, wherever an attack takes place.
New laws have already been introduced in Scotland and Northern Ireland, with legislation planned in Wales.
Making a stance: The Royal Mail has said it will take legal action against owners of dogs who have attacked postmen and women
Sir Gordon said: ‘It is a matter of real concern to learn of the extent and frequency of attacks on postal workers and to find that for a considerable time there has been almost general agreement not only on the inadequacies of the present law in England and Wales but also on the nature of the reforms required to address it, but to date it remains unchanged.’
Royal Mail chairman Donald Brydon said: ‘Dog attacks cause injuries and terrible trauma to our staff. Nobody should have to endure this and our staff are at an increased risk of such attacks simply because of the job they do.
‘We welcome the findings in Sir Gordon Langley’s independent report, especially his call for an urgent reform of the laws in England and Wales. We have also taken on board his comments that Royal Mail should take a more robust approach with customers whose dogs attack postmen and women. We will adjust our policies immediately.’
CWU general secretary Billy Hayes said: ‘Sir Gordon’s recommendations take on board our own long-standing campaign objectives of securing new UK-wide laws which apply on private property, moving away from breed-specific legislation, introducing microchipping and getting serious when it comes to prosecution and punishment.
‘England will soon be the only part of the UK without updated dogs laws as Scotland and Northern Ireland have already introduced new improved legislation and Wales is legislating in the current session.
‘This Government has procrastinated and steadfastly refused to act on the issue of dangerous dogs while people continue to suffer serious injuries and lose their lives in dog attacks.’
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Suspension of services for the period required for the same postman to heal up, and compensation of paid leave if needed and hospital bills, perhaps temporary replacement staff or payment of double shifts for those taking over from the injured postman, should make the owners of vicious dogs cautious to keep their home gate shut at mail delivery time for both their own pocket’s, and the postman’s health. If your dog bites the postman, you pay for leave, replacement staff, or medical expenses. At the same time, the post service needs to have a sort of schedule as well so that owners who do let their animals out can take the effort to keep the animals in at the right times.
ARTICLE 3
Thailand police fire tear gas at anti-government protests
Saturday, November 24, 2012 – 09:23 AM
Anti-government protesters calling for Thailand’s Prime Minister to step down launched a rally in Bangkok today that authorities feared would grow into the biggest demonstration the country has seen since she took office last year.
The rally, which was expected to draw tens of thousands of protesters, was mostly peaceful in its early stages.
Police, however, fired tear gas to disperse between 50 to 100 people who tried to break through a line of concrete barricades erected on a street near the protest site.
Earlier in the week, premier Yingluck Shinawatra ordered nearly 17,000 police to deploy and invoked a special security law, citing concerns that the rally could turn violent.
She also accused demonstrators of seeking to overthrow her elected government.
The demonstration underscores the still-simmering political divisions that have split the country since the army toppled Ms Yingluck’s brother Thaksin Shinawatra in a 2006 military coup.
Today’s protest was organised by a royalist group calling itself Pitak Siam – Protect Thailand.
Led by retired army general Boonlert Kaewprasit, the group accuses Ms Yingluck’s administration of corruption, ignoring insults to the revered monarchy and being a puppet of her brother.
Addressing several thousand protesters on the rally’s central stage, Mr Boonlert vowed the demonstration would remain peaceful. But he said: “I promise that Pitak Siam will succeed in driving this government out.”
He then led the crowd in a chant: “Yingluck, get out! Yingluck, get out!”
The rally was being held at Bangkok’s Royal Plaza, a public space near parliament that has been used by protesters in the past.
Police allowed protesters into the site, and two roads leading to it were open. But in an effort to control access, security forces erected concrete barriers on another road leading to Royal Plaza.
When between 50 to 100 protesters tried to break through one of the barriers, a contingent of around 500 police fired tear gas and beat them back with batons.
While Pitak Siam is a newcomer to Thailand’s protest scene, it is linked to the well-known Yellow Shirt protesters, whose rallies led to Mr Thaksin’s overthrow.
The same movement later toppled a Thaksin-allied elected government after occupying and shutting down Bangkok’s two airports for a week in 2008.
Mr Thaksin remains a divisive figure in Thai politics. The Yellow Shirts and their allies say he is corrupt and accuse him of seeking to undermine the popular constitutional monarch – claims he denies.
Ms Yingluck was taking Saturday’s rally seriously – her cabinet invoked the Internal Security Act on Thursday in three Bangkok districts around the protest site and she later addressed the nation to explain the move, citing concerns of violence.
The security act allows authorities to close roads, impose curfews and ban use of electronic devices in designated areas. Measures began taking effect on Thursday night, with police closing roads around Ms Yingluck’s office, the Government House, and placing extra security at the homes of senior officials, including the prime minister.
In a nationally-televised address Ms Yingluck said protest leaders “seek to overthrow an elected government and democratic rule … and there is evidence that violence may be used to achieve those ends”.
National police chief spokesman Maj Gen Piya Uthayo said yesterday that 16,800 police officers had been called in from around the country to provide security for the rally.
Mr Boonlert, the protest group’s leader, is best known for his role as president of the Thailand Boxing Association. His name is unfamiliar in the anti-Thaksin protest movement, but his message appears to have resonated with Yellow Shirt supporters who have laid low in recent years after Ms Yingluck’s party won the last elections.
Analysts said they did not view the protest as an immediate threat to Ms Yingluck’s government, but were watching it closely.
“Any time you have tens of thousands of people converging, assembling in a central Bangkok location, it becomes a government stability concern,” said Thitinan Pongsudhirak, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University.
But he added: “I think it’s a serious concern more than a serious threat.”
Thailand has been gripped by bouts of political instability since 2006, with Thaksin’s supporters and opponents taking turns to spar over who has the right to rule the country.
The most violent episode came in 2010, when Thaksin’s Red Shirt supporters led a two-month occupation of central Bangkok to demand the resignation of an anti-Thaksin government.
The protests sparked a military crackdown that left at least 91 people dead and more than 1,700 injured.
Mr Thaksin has lived in self-imposed exile since 2008, when he jumped bail to evade a corruption conviction and two-year jail term. He retains huge popularity among the rural poor, who want to see him pardoned and returned to power.
But he is reviled by the urban elite and educated middle class, who see him as authoritarian and a threat to the monarchy.
Buoyed by Mr Thaksin’s (ill gotten) political cash machine, Ms Yingluck was elected by a landslide victory in August 2011.
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Don’t bother rallying. GET THE MPs to remove Yingluck in a simple vote. Ralliers, don’t blocakade the Capital, instead, blockade the homes of MPs who wont get rid of Yingluck instead.
ARTICLE 4
Researchers Produce Self-Shaping Nanomachines That Can Be Mass Produced
Once again, the natural world has inspired the scientific world.
This time, it was the dandelion that inspired researchers to create a self-shaping nanomachine that can be reproduced through an automated process.
The ability to mass produce these microscopic machines opens the door to a multitude of applications from medicine to military. However, like with any great discovery there is a dark side.
Many people believe that if the nanomachine is successfully created and mass produced, it will be the cause of Armageddon in a scenario that theorists call the Gray Goo.
Researchers from the University of Washington in the U.S. and Aalto University in Finland discovered that these nanomachines could in fact be massed produced with a trick they observed in nature with a dandelion.
The researchers realized that building most machines, including nanomachines, begins with the shaping of metals. Exploring this fundamental of fabrication and hoping to find some sort of cue in nature, the researchers discovered that dandelion stems (when cut into small strips) were placed in water, they would bend and curl.
The different shapes were dependent on the amount of water absorption on the two sides of the strips. The key was to replicate these formations with metal, and use some sort of catalyst that would trigger the bending.
Self-Shaping Metals
The team discovered that the same results occurred with the nanoscale metal materials when an ion beamed was used. Like the dandelion strips, the microscopic metals began to bend and curl.
Then, the researchers were able to use the ion beam to create specific and even complex shapes.
They were able to start with a three-dimension hexagon shape. Then, they applied the ion beam to the metal shape, which caused it to open, or bloom like a flower. The researchers were even able to construct microscopic cubes using the same technique.
However, the structures also possessed characteristics that the researchers were not expecting.
According to the team, the resulting nanostructures were also quite resilient. It appears that the structures were able to withstand harsh conditions, such as extreme heat and electrostatic discharge. Furthermore, the nanostructures were also able to capture and hold particles that are roughly a micrometer in size.
Even though the research is promising, it is still in the preliminary stages. The team asserted:
“However, we believe that we are just scratching the tip of the iceberg: a comprehensive theory of ion-assisted self-assembly processes is yet to be reached.” (1)
Will a Nano-Future Trigger Armageddon?
As promising as the possible applications are, there are some who believe any self-assembly process on a nanoscale would be the beginning of the end: a scenario commonly referred to as the Gray Goo.
The phrase was coined in 1986 by Eric Drexler, an American engineer and nanotech pioneer. The term refers to result of nanorobots self-assembling to the point where they appear to be this massive gray ooze that consumes everything in its path.
The “consumption” involved in this scenario is the process of the nanorobots turning organic material into more nanorobots. Even though this scenario makes for fantastic science fiction reading, it does not really make for great science.
There are several aspects of the gray goo scenario that make it implausible. One theory is that any self-assembly /self-replicating process would have checks and balances in place to prevent an out-of-control replicating process.
Furthermore, the system proposed here, like most, is more akin to a factory assembly line than reproducing bacteria, which is how the gray goo is often described.
Think of it as an automobile factory. Much of it is automated, but it does not have the means nor the resources to produce at an out-of-control pace that would overtake the world.
Finally, the gray goo would need massive computing power and complex chemistry to even survive the environment. (3) Most scientists agree that the gray goo scenario is an outdated premise that is better left to science fiction.
With that in mind, the discovery made by the researchers from the University of Washington in the U.S. and Aalto University in Finland is very much a breakthrough that should be celebrated, not feared.
References & Image Credits:
(1) Daily Mail
(2) Discover Magazine
(3) CRnano.org
Dennis Dufrene is the resident historian and technical writer. With this background, Dennis brings insight and accuracy to the stories published here at Top Secret Writers. Dennis has 379 post(s) at Top Secret Writers
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i) There are several aspects of the gray goo scenario that make it implausible. One theory is that any self-assembly /self-replicating process would have checks and balances in place to prevent an out-of-control replicating process.
There are none, if the hacker of the AI controlling the nanobots has no scruples. We all know that code can be changed depending on the user/hacker.
ii) Furthermore, the system proposed here, like most, is more akin to a factory assembly line than reproducing bacteria, which is how the gray goo is often described. . . .
Wheres the logic in that statement? Eh? Wot? That makes no sense at all. The article writer needs to make sense or study grammar. SO WHAT if ‘gray goo’ is described as ‘factory assembly line’? Whats to stop the programmer or hacker make the nanobot swarm behave like grey goo regardless of how the nanobot is created? See below article for how the AI controlling the nanobots are more important in determining gray goo behaviour than how the individual nanobot is created. Nanobots are fatal weapons if used on Nuclear Plants. So unless a nanomite-wall is already possible, all likelihood that containment areas are being perforated by nanomites chewing their way into the Nuclear facility, so keep building more Nuclear plants and enjoy your terrorist nanotech irradiators, any plant could go boom or crack up and collapse from within from ‘nanomite undermining’ of super structures, and not a terrorist would have to even be near the piece of sh1t irradiative eco-disaster in the waiting . . . Ostrich burying head in sand alert anyone?
ARTICLE 5
Freeway Drones for a Futuristic Highway Patrol – November 24, 2012 6:05 pm – by PHIL PATTON / The New York Times
IT’S a future far from Ponch and Jon, the Los Angeles-based motorcycle officers of “CHiPs,” a TV series that rose to popularity in the 1970s. In this take on the California Highway Patrol of 2025, patrol cars and motorcycles would be replaced by computerized drones; chips take over CHiPs.
Here, the highway patrol vehicles of the future will be mostly self-driving, if you accept the solutions offered by the entries in this year’s Design Challenge, an annual competition organized in conjunction with the Los Angeles auto show. For the last nine years, the Design Challenge has invited automakers’ advanced design studios to dream up proposals for sci-fi automotive futures tied to specific themes, including cars that weighed less than 1,000 pounds or that were destined for Hollywood roles. This year’s competition asked designers to envision the highway patrol car of 2025.
By coincidence or destiny, designers at several companies came up with concepts for robotic, autonomously driven vehicles on ground, water and air. These future police cruisers — usually presented as story boards rather than actual vehicles — recall today’s Predator and Global Hawk drones, stars of the anti-insurgency efforts. They may give new meaning to those signs that read “Speed limit enforced by aircraft.”
In the future, as the organizers outlined it, “the vehicle should empower highway patrol officers to meet new demands and effectively both ‘protect and serve’ the public while considering not just enforcement needs but emission concerns, population growth and transportation infrastructure.” The world of 2025, the participants seem to agree, will be a place where traffic has grown exponentially, infrastructure has deteriorated, environmental constraints have increased — and highway patrol budgets have been reduced.
As envisioned by Honda R&D Americas’ advanced design studio in Pasadena, Calif., the future Honda CHP Drone Squad includes four-wheel Auto-Drones, like cars, and two-wheel Moto-Drones, like motorcycles. The proposal offers a future where the Auto-Drone functions as something of a command vehicle — manned or unmanned — that deploys Moto-Drones, even while on the move. The Moto-Drones could be rigged for a variety of different response or rescue tasks. While such vehicles might be decades from reality, the flexibility of this strategy could offer companies that built both types of vehicles an advantage in securing government contracts.
At the BMW DesignworksUSA studio in Newbury Park, Calif., designers dreamed up the E-Patrol (Human-Drone Pursuit Vehicle). In this arrangement, the officer and drone would work in harmony, like today’s officers and their K-9 partners. The BMW drone team would be able to deploy a flying drone, which resembles a high-tech Jet Ski cruise missile, or one of a pair of unicyclelike robotic vehicles to chase lawbreakers. And if the suspect doesn’t pull over? In the E-Patrol vision, the BMW designers say, their drone would disable the vehicle with an electromagnetic impulse.
The Subaru Highway Automated Response Concept vehicles, developed by Subaru Research and Development in Japan and designed specifically for Hawaii, are powered by renewable energy — and they have aquatic capability. “The cutting-edge SHARC patrol vehicles will provide an innovative, affordable and environmentally conscious solution for 24-hour highway monitoring,” the designers say.
The Volt Squad, dreamed up at General Motors’ Advanced Design Center in North Hollywood, Calif., is a set of future patrol vehicles that would take advantage of the propulsion system engineered for the Chevrolet Volt. The squad is composed of three different types of vehicles that still contain human officers. Each type is specially designed to observe, pursue or engage — the last term left menacingly undefined.
Judges for the Design Challenge include Tom Matano, director of the industrial design program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco; Imre Molnar from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit; and Stewart Reed, chairman of the transportation design department at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. The winner will be announced on Thursday at an event in conjunction with the auto show.
This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
First Published November 24, 2012 6:01 pm
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1) And if the suspect doesn’t pull over? In the E-Patrol vision, the BMW designers say, their drone would disable the vehicle with an electromagnetic impulse.
Won’t work if your vehicle is wholly non-electronic. I can see a whole new generation of non-electronic manual gear based modders, who will keep any electronics away from the engine or gearbox, signal lights.
2) Each type is specially designed to observe, pursue or engage — the last term left menacingly undefined.
Engage? Unless walking robots are involved, all a criminal needs to do is get off the road, climb a tree (or a staircase), or hijack a car to confound the entire system. See below link for a better or auxillary robot that could be attached to the ‘car-bot’.
ARTICLE 6
Human Rights Watch urges international ban on ‘killer robots’ – Wed Nov 21, 2012 7:19PM
These kinds of weapons would make it more likely that a state would go to war…shifting the burden of conflict away from the military, those who are trained to fight, to civilians who will bear the brunt of any mistakes that these killer robots make. And they will inevitably make mistakes,” Stephen Goose, the arms division director of Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch has called for an international ban on ‘killer robots’ – autonomous machines that independently decide their targets, Press TV reports.
“They’re weapons where there is no human intervention. That is, the armed robot itself makes the decision about what its target should be and when it should pull the trigger,” Stephen Goose, the arms division director of Human Rights Watch told Press TV.
“Killer robots are the shorthand name for fully autonomous weapons. These are something we think of as being beyond drones,” Goose said, adding that “the farther down the road this gets, the harder it’s going to be to stop it.”
The expert said an international ban, as well as prohibitions in each country, must be started before these robots become the future of war.
“The more money that’s poured into it, the more time passes, the more they’re going to get integrated into future war plans and into the doctrine of various militaries. We think the only way to approach this is to nip it in the bud and to have a prohibition now,” Goose added.
Goose criticized the role of the United States military in the “secretive and classified” development of these deadly weapons.
The US Pentagon has begun a contest, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Robotics Challenge, to advance its efforts to develop robotic soldiers to fight the wars of the future, focusing on testing the robots’ abilities to work in difficult situations designed for humans that “simulate conditions in a dangerous, degraded, human-engineered environment.”
He added that these weapons would violate the proportionality test, which is required under international humanitarian law to weigh the advantages of an attack against possible civilian casualties.
“These kinds of weapons would make it more likely that a state would go to war…shifting the burden of conflict away from the military, those who are trained to fight, to civilians who will bear the brunt of any mistakes that these killer robots make. And they will inevitably make mistakes,” Goose concluded.
GMA/SZH
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Don’t take away Robocop’s 2nd Amendment Rights . . . though being a cyborg, Robocop shouldn’t be affected (organic components and human origins).
ARTICLE 7
Dotcom says he could sue US government for $2.6 billion – by Kim Schmitz – Monday 26 November 2012, 12:45
MegaUpload founder Kim ‘Dotcom’ Schmitz has threatened to sue the US government after the revelation that some of the pirated content listed as being on his former company’s servers by prosecutors had been left there at the request of the American Department Of Justice.
MegaUpload, of course, was shut down at the start of the year by the US authorities amidst allegations of money laundering, racketeering and copyright infringement against the company and its management, four key members of which, including Dotcom, are living in New Zealand and are currently fighting efforts to extradite them to America.
Amongst other things, prosecutors claim that MegaUpload operated a deliberately shoddy takedown system for removing copyright material once made aware of it, whilst also encouraging users to upload unlicensed music, movies and TV shows, because doing so ensured the wider Mega platform had a constant supply of popular content, driving traffic, ad sales and subscriptions, even though rights owners were never paid a penny.
But Dotcom and the Mega team insist their company operated within US copyright law, removing unlicensed content in line with America’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act. And even more than that, it was revealed earlier this month that the company itself occasionally assisted the DoJ when it was investigating other companies accused of piracy which stored and distributed illegal content via the Mega platform.
One such piracy operation was NinjaVideo, and, now say Mega’s legal team, some of the content prosecutors have listed in their case against Dotcom actually belonged to that venture, and was not deleted by MegaUpload because of a request from the DoJ, which wanted the unlicensed files to remain accessible while it continued to investigate Ninja’s activities.
According to reports, prosecutors say that’s no excuse, because some of the content stored in NinjaVideo’s locker on MegaUpload was also available elsewhere on the Mega platform, and, now knowing for certain that that content was unlicensed because of the Ninja investigation, the digital firm should have removed the additional copies. But Mega’s lawyers say that their clients were cautious of doing platform-wide deletions of that content, in case it impacted on the NinjaVideo content that formed part of the DoJ’s case.
Quite how relevant the NinjaVideo content is to the wider MegaUpload case isn’t clear, but that didn’t stop Dotcom telling his Twitter followers that the DoJ was “a gang of rogue US attorneys out of control”, before revealing that he’d been advised: “We can sue the US govt or MPAA members for $2.6 billion in damages for the destruction of our businesses”.
Although access to MegaUpload’s fortune has been frozen since the US government shut down the Mega business in January, Dotcom says he soon hopes to have financial backing to allow a lawsuit against America.
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Focus on democracy and at very most demand formal apologies (for what could be domestic terrorism), and equitable damages probably in the tune of a few 10Ks for inconvenience and living expenses or the few months lost etc.., instead. The US govermnent could hide behind the department concerned, and a single department cannot be liable to 2.6 billion in compensation. Besides, given the state of the economy, no way will payouts of this level be possible. 2.6 billion cannot even be given to Middle Eastern military contractors on the US’s side, so for certain Kim cannot expect this sort of compensation as well. Be reasonable Kim, public apologies by the department and sums reasonable that the department gets in yearly allotments could be demanded (I doubt they get 2.6 billion), but the government would be untouchable. I’m on your side Kim, but if I were the US government and had to pay 2.6 billion when US finances were this bad, might as well call in an assassin and avoid court expenditures and payout. This is not an apartheid case, but more like an abuse of power case . . . strike a spiritual blow for freedom and demand AMENDMENTS TO LAW instead of monies that don’t change anything, money can be taken away or the owner of the money killed, LAWS cannot be taken away, and if the people are educated, laws can prevent extreme powers by the state. Forget about the payout thing. Won’t work.
ARTICLE 8
Megaupload Boss Kim Dotcom Offers To Surrender, Face Trial In U.S. Without Extradition
Megaupload founder and accused piracy king Kim Dotcom has offered to forgo his delayed extradition trial and come to the U.S. to fight the charges against him and three others.
Dotcom said on Twitter that the Department of Justice must meet certain ground rules first, however.
“Hey DOJ, we will go to the US. No need for extradition,” he wrote on the micro-blogging site. “We want bail, funds unfrozen for lawyers & living expenses.”
The offer comes a day after a New Zealand court delayed an extradition hearing until March due to ongoing legal hearings regarding the seizure of evidence from an illegal raid on Dotcom’s mansion.
“We are not expecting to hear back regarding the offer and I remain committed to fighting extradition in New Zealand,” he added.
Dotcom and three others — Finn Batato, Mathias Ortmann and Bram van der Kolk — were charged with racketeering, copyright infringement and money laundering, however they haven’t admitted to any wrongdoing.
Despite the charges against him, Dotcom has vowed that Megaupload will return.
BGR
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Thaksin could learn from Schmidt. Thaksin should go back to Thailand and face the court with whatever foreign monitors in tow instead of using Yingluck as a proxy to disrupt Thailand.
ARTICLE 9
THE German government is about to reintroduce a ban on bestiality, after pressure from animal welfare groups.
Newspaper die Tageszeitung reports that the governing coalition are soon to amend the country’s Animal Welfare Act to make sex with animals punishable with a fine of up to 25,000 euros ($31,000).
Bestiality was legalised in Germany in 1969, the same year that gay sex was also removed from the criminal code. After that, sex with animals was only punishable if the animal was severely injured.
However animal welfare groups have pushed for the ban to be reinstated, in an advertising campaign that used dramatic examples of “animal rape”.
Agriculture minister Ilse Aigner has agreed to change the law to make it illegal for people to “use (animals) for their own sexual activities or sexual acts of third parties” – which also bans the ‘pimping’ of animals to others.
However the move has aroused the ire of zoophile group ZETA.
Lobbyist Michael Kiok, who lives with his dog Cassie, told the newspaper there were more than 100,000 zoophiles in Germany.
“Mere morals have no place in law,” he said.
Mr Kiok said he was worried that if the law took effect the authorities would try to take away his dog.
The amendment to the law will be debated in the German parliament in mid-December.
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Good work to a point. 3rd party definitely applicable, but for personal use, there should be a panel who will judge if the animal is ‘happy’ or ‘suffering’, which is quite easy to do given the advanced brain scanning technologies they have today. While most of us wouldn’t indulge, always remember Voltaire and expand on the logic! Not just freedom of speech, but FREEDOM TO LIVE AS ONE WILL . . .
ARTICLE 10
Israel’s Barak, architect of Iran policy, quitting politics – by Dan Williams and Jeffrey Heller – JERUSALEM | Mon Nov 26, 2012 3:16pm GMT
(Reuters) – Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak, a leading strategist in confronting Iran over its nuclear programme, said in a surprise announcement on Monday that he would quit political life after the January 22 national election.
Some commentators speculated Barak was trying to duck a trouncing for his tiny centrist party in the ballot, after which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads the front-running, right-wing Likud, might return him to defence and military headquarters as a professional appointee.
But others said 70-year-old Barak, who has served as prime minister and armed forces chief, may have had enough of campaigning and wanted to focus on resolving the Iranian issue before leaving his post.
“I stand before you to share my decision to resign from political life and not to run in the coming election for the Knesset,” Barak told a news conference, adding he would stay on as defence chief until a new administration is sworn in.
Speaking five days after an eight-day Gaza offensive ended in a ceasefire with the enclave’s Hamas Islamist rulers, Barak said he wanted to spend more time with his family and that politics “has never been a passion of mine”.
Should Barak’s resignation prove permanent his successor would likely come from Likud ranks. He might even be replaced by the current foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, the Likud’s more hawkish coalition partner.
Few doubt that this would affect the tenor of a ministry that oversees everything from armed conflict to administration of occupied Palestinian territory to liaising with regional power-broker Egypt.
Danny Yatom, an old army comrade of Barak’s who went on to serve as head of the Mossad spy agency, described him as a “moderate anchor” for a Netanyahu government whose sabre-rattling on Iran has often raised the hackles of the United States and other Western countries.
Yet Yatom, who served under Netanyahu during his first term as prime minister in the late 1990s, said the Israeli leader appeared to be patching up his testy ties with Barak Obama since the U.S. president’s re-election three weeks ago.
“I would think and hope that this relationship will provide the main guide for government policies” on Iran, Yatom said.
With Netanyahu, Barak has been at the forefront of Israel’s campaign for stronger international sanctions against Iran to halt what Israeli and Western leaders fear is a drive to produce nuclear weapons, allegations Tehran denies.
Raising speculation Israel could defy its main ally, the United States, and attack Iran on its own, Barak has cautioned that Tehran was nearing a “zone of immunity” that would put deeply buried and fortified nuclear facilities out of reach of Israel’s military capabilities.
But last month, he told Britain’s Daily Telegraph newspaper that an immediate crisis was avoided when Iran chose to use more than a third of its medium-enriched uranium for civilian purposes earlier this year.
The decision, he said “allows contemplating delaying the moment of truth by eight to ten months”.
“LEADING ADVOCATE”
Dennis Ross, a veteran U.S. envoy and former Obama adviser, called Barak “perhaps the leading advocate for military action against Iran”.
“He has had very close relationships with his U.S. counterparts, and while that has had an influence on his readiness to act militarily against Iran, he has been prepared for a unilateral Israeli strike if he thought that would be necessary,” Ross told Reuters.
“Whoever would replace him in the next government will be hard-pressed to have the same stature or influence both with the prime minister (Netanyahu) and with us,” he said.
Barak is both Israel’s most-decorated soldier and embraced abroad since his breakneck peacemaking campaigns during a brief tenure as prime minister in the mid-1990s. He has lent public credibility to Netanyahu’s veiled threats to attack Iran should diplomacy fail to curb its disputed uranium enrichment.
But after Netanyahu, in a September speech at the United Nations, said Israel’s “red line” on Iran now fell in mid-2013, Barak signalled that any war with the Persian power could wait.
Israeli officials say contingency plans for Iran have been in place for months, awaiting a green light from the government.
Such open discourse over a showdown that would stretch Israel’s military capabilities to the limit suggested a possible bluff – or at least, that Netanyahu and Barak, both former commandos schooled in subterfuge, hoped to achieve some kind of tactical surprise when the time came to pull the trigger.
Some might see a ruse in the show of retiring Barak who, on the eve of Israel’s shock 2008-2009 war in Gaza, made an unannounced live appearance on a top-rated Israeli television satire, seemingly to help drop the Palestinians’ guard.
With two months remaining until the election and several more weeks for the new coalition government to be formed, Barak said on Monday he would continue to deal with “many challenges” on the national security front, leaving open the possibility he would be part of fresh military actions in the interim.
Vice Prime Minister Moshe Yaalon of the Likud appears to be a front-runner to replace Barak after the election, should Netanyahu, as expected, form the next government.
He has sword-rattled about Iran more volubly than Barak and, while the defence minister spoke in favour of U.S. President Barack Obama before his reelection this month, Yaalon had accused the Democratic administration of being soft on Tehran.
Other candidates to succeed Barak, according to defence officials, include Avi Dichter, a former security chief who is now the Likud minister in charge of preparing the homefront for war, and Lieberman, currently foreign minister.
As the only centrist member of the governing coalition of right-wing and pro-settler parties, Barak has frequently visited Washington for talks with top U.S. officials and had criticised Netanyahu for airing differences with the United States.
In a statement, Netanyahu said he “respects Defence Minister Ehud Barak’s decision and thanks him for his cooperation in the government and highly appreciates his long-standing contribution to the security of the state”.
The Hamas movement ruling Gaza saw Barak’s decision to quit as proof that this month’s Israeli assault on the enclave was a disaster.
“This is evidence of the political and military failure that the government of Netanyahu and his defence minister suffered,” said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
Israel has called its offensive a success, saying it destroyed most of Hamas’s long-range rocket arsenal and killed the Islamist group’s top militants.
(Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell and Ari Rabinovitch, Editing by Crispian Balmer and Tom Pfeiffer, Ralph Boulton)
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
If Israel cannot even annexe Gaza (though also return other lands not theirs) to the effect of having what effectively is a second Palestine, few would believe that Israel is going to fight Iran which has not been attacking Israel outright. Gaza conversely keeps attacking Israel with rockets but still exists. If Iran attacks Israel with rockets, Israel would go full scale against Iran. What gives? Proof of capability should be by annexing Gaza with as little casualties as possible. THEN Iran would take notice and take Israel seriously. If Israel cannot handle 100s of times smaller Gaza after decades, Israel sure as hell cannot handle 10s of times larger Iran.
JERUSALEM-ON-THE-LINE – November 27, 2012
“Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill.” Ps 3:1-4
ISRAEL SUCCESSFULLY TESTS DAVID’S SLING’S INTERCEPTOR: Israel has successfully conducted its first test of the David’s Sling’s Stunner interceptor missile, the Defense Ministry revealed Sunday night. David’s Sling is a missile defense system currently under development in Israel and the US. The system would defend against Iranian missiles such as the M600, the Zelzal, Fajr and Fateh 110 deployed heavily in Hizbullah hands in Lebanon as well as other missiles with a range between 43 miles and 186 miles. It is to become operational in 2014. (J.Post) “You are my hiding place and my shield: I hope in your word.” Ps 119:114
SATELLITES SHOW IRAN MOVING QUICKLY TO REARM HAMAS: Israeli intelligence satellites have spied the loading of rockets and other materiel believed to be destined for the Gaza Strip. According to the Sunday Times report, Iran began preparing the weapons shipment around the same time Israel and Hamas negotiated cease-fire understandings late last week. The shipment is said to include Iranian-made Fajr-5 medium-range rockets, the same model that was fired into the Tel Aviv and Jerusalem areas during Operation Pillar of Defense. Last month, following an air attack on a weapons plant near Khartoum, the Defense Ministry’s director of policy and political-military affairs accused Sudan of acting as a transit point for weapons shipments to Gaza. Amos Gilad accused Khartoum of aiding and abetting terrorism, and said the Sudanese regime was “supported by Iran” and was used as a route to transfer weapons to Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, via Egypt. Sudan accused Israel of attacking the military plant. The report also cited Israeli officials speculating that Iran could be moving longer-range ballistic missiles into Sudan, which could be aimed at Israel from the African country. Meanwhile, reports in Gaza said the Rafah smuggling tunnels, pummeled by the IAF over eight days, are already being rebuilt. (J.Post) “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly.” Prov 26:11
AHMADINEJAD CONGRATULATES HAMAS ON ITS ‘VICTORY’: Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday congratulated Gaza’s Hamas chief, Ismail Haniyeh, on a “great victory” over Israel. Haniyeh in turn thanked Iran for its military aid and support. Haniyeh’s office said Ahmadinejad called late on Friday to praise Gaza’s “victory after eight days of Israeli aggression,” referring to Israel’s Operation Pillar of Defense which targeted Hamas’ terror infrastructure in Gaza. “We stand beside the Palestinian people,” the Iranian president added. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani confirmed Iran had supplied military and financial aid to the Hamas terrorist group, which controls Gaza since taking power in a bloody coup in 2007. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief General Mohammad Ali Jafari added that Tehran had provided the technology for the Fajr 5 missiles used to target Tel Aviv. He said they were now being rapidly produced in Gaza. Iranian officials confirmed Iran will continue to support terrorist groups in Gaza and elsewhere that fight Israel. (INN) “He, that being often reproved hardens his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Prov 29:1
IDF CHIEF: DON’T WORRY, QUIET WILL LAST: IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz assured Israelis on Sunday there would be no more rocket fire from Gaza – “or else.” Speaking to new recruits Gantz recapped the recent Pillar of Defense counter terror operation in Gaza. He also described the ceasefire agreement that followed, pointedly assuring them the measures carried out a few days earlier would have a lasting effect. “The quiet will continue, and if not, we will resume our operations on whatever level is necessary,” Gantz said bluntly. In addition, Gantz addressed the apprehensions Gaza’s ruling Hamas terrorist organization may re-arm itself with newer rockets. The concern comes on the heels of an official confirmation by Iran that it has been exporting its missile technology, as well as “financial and military assistance” to terrorist groups in the region. The issue of Hamas attempting to increase its power is important, he said, but it is far from new. The IDF will continue to work towards disrupting the terrorist organization’s attempt to re-arm, Gantz said. (INN/Israel Today) Government and military decisions to agree to a premature ceasefire with the ruling Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip has severely shaken the confidence of Israel’s people in its leaders. As one Jerusalem news commentator pointed out: “There’s every possibility Hamas will recover and even enhance its military strength, and with the premature ceasefire having given the group a major boost of confidence, many Israelis are wondering what was the point of the limited aerial campaign their nation waged.” Pray for a truly deep and enduring shift to take place in the nation – one that will turn Jewish hearts to the only source of wisdom, help and deliverance that can be trusted – that of the God of Israel. “Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.” Ps 107:6
MORE RIOTING ON GAZA BORDER: There was more rioting on Sunday by Arabs near the fence separating Gaza and Israel. Voice of Israel radio reported that young Arabs approached the security fence near Khan Younis in the early evening, and that IDF soldiers fired warning shots in the air, as well as rubber-coated bullets toward whoever came too near to the fence. Three of the rioters were reportedly injured in the clashes. One Arab was killed on Friday in a similar incident along the Gaza fence. (Arutz-7) Pray these prowling Palestinian gangs along Israel’s security fence will be broken up and permanently dispersed, without achieving any of their destructive aims against the Jewish state.
HIZBULLAH SAYS IT COULD STRIKE ALL OF ISRAEL IN A FUTURE WAR: Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Sunday that thousands of rockets would rain down on Tel Aviv and cities across the Jewish state if it attacked Lebanon. Speaking four days after the ceasefire which ended a week of conflict between Israel and the Islamist Hamas rulers of Gaza, Nasrallah said Hizbullah’s response to any attack would dwarf the rocket fire launched from Palestinian territories. The Lebanese-based terrorist group, Hizbullah, which fought Israel in a 34-day war six years ago, says it has been re-arming since then and has a far deadlier arsenal than Hamas. Nasrallah has said Hizbullah could kill tens of thousands of people and strike anywhere inside Israel if hostilities break out again. The movement has warned any Israeli attack against the nuclear facilities of its patron Iran, which has armed and funded the Lebanese terrorist group as well as Hamas, would inflame the Middle East (Reuters) “The multitude of your foreign foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the ruthless like passing chaff.” Isa 29:5
EGYPT’S POLITICAL FOES DIG IN THEIR HEELS: Supporters and opponents of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi, on Sunday grew more entrenched in their potentially destabilizing battle over the Islamist leader’s move to assume near absolute powers, with neither side appearing willing to back down as the stock market plunged amid the fresh turmoil. Clashes between the two sides spilled onto the streets for a third day since the Islamist president issued edicts that make him immune to oversight of any kind, including that of the courts. A teenager was killed and dozens of people were wounded when a group of anti-Morsi protesters tried to storm the local offices of the political arm of the president’s Muslim Brotherhood in the Nile Delta city of Damanhoor. It was the first reported death from the street battles that erupted across much of the nation on Friday, the day after Morsi’s decrees were announced. The tensions also dealt a fresh blow to the economy, which has suffered due to the problems plaguing the Arab world’s most populous nation both prior to and since Mubarak’s ouster. (AP)
SYRIAN WAR SPILLS OVER INTO ISRAEL TWICE IN ONE DAY: The civil war in Syria spilled over into the Golan Heights in two separate incidents on Sunday. Residents in a religious Zionist town less than a kilometer from the border, reported on Sunday evening they heard explosions nearby, perhaps a result of a mortar shell that had been fired from Syria. The IDF said no evidence of a mortar had yet been identified. In a second incident on Sunday night, an IDF vehicle was hit by bullets fired from Syrian territory into Israel during the fighting between the sides. There were no injuries or damage. The IDF changed the rules of engagement along the northern border after the fighting in Syria spilled over into Israel more than once. The new orders instruct soldiers to respond if fire from Syria is dangerous and persistent. More than 40,000 people have been killed in 20 months of conflict between Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces and those fighting for his overthrow. About half the fatalities were civilians. (INN/J.Post)
ABBAS WARNS UN BID IS LAST CHANCE FOR PEACE: Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas claimed Saturday the entity’s renewed bid for UN membership is the “last chance” for Arab peace with Israel. The PA is hoping to create an independent, sovereign state in Judea, Samaria, Gaza and parts of Jerusalem that were restored to the Jewish capital in the 1967 Six-Day War. Previous efforts to evade the necessity of final status talks with Israel through application for membership in the UN have been stymied by Western nation, led by the United States. As head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which represents the PA to the United Nations, Abbas plans to apply for status as a non-member state. Such a designation would create a de facto recognition of the PA as an independent, sovereign country. It would also successfully circumvent the final status negotiations with Israel mandated by the internationally-recognized 1993 Oslo Accords signed by both parties. The PA chairman said Saturday he would submit the PA request for the status on November 29. (Arutz-7) Pray against this deceptive, manipulative, and entirely illegal scheme on the part of the Palestinian Authority to achieve statehood, via the UN, while sidestepping negotiations with Israel.
Blessings from Jerusalem,
Barry Segal with the Editorial Staff
As international speakers and messengers of the Good News through music, Barry and Batya Segal are at the forefront of what God is doing in the present day nation of Israel. With strong ties in both the nations and Jerusalem, the Segals are weaving the deepest roots of our biblical heritage together with the fresh Spirit-filled worship of today to create their rich harmony of Scripture and song.
The Segals have a vast vision for God’s purposes in the nations and to the people of Israel. In fact, their longing to help rebuild Israel both spiritually and physically inspired them to pioneer the non-profit charity organization, Vision for Israel and The Joseph Storehouse. This arm of their ministry focuses on assisting the poor and needy, widows and orphans, and reaching out to the new Jewish immigrants coming into the land of Israel. Vision ‘s most challenging project to date is “The Joseph Storehouse®”, humanitarian aid center, located in the hills of Jerusalem. The Joseph Storehouse functions as a channel of blessing to all of Israel, Jewish and Arab, through the gathering and distribution of emergency medical supplies, food, clothing, and other basic life necessities. USA office contact info: Vision for Israel, PO Box 7743, Charlotte NC 28241, 866-351-0075. The Segal’s web site is
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
. . . HIZBULLAH SAYS IT COULD STRIKE ALL OF ISRAEL IN A FUTURE WAR . . .
Hear that Israel? Annexe the Gazan bastards before doing anything else. Respond like so, ‘ . . . on the 7th day from the day Hizbullah threatened to attack Israel, Israel took back Gaza from the Muslets . . . ‘ Talmud 2.0 . . . Gaga? Gaza? NLP? Where’s that gat . . .
ARTICLE 11
Former boxer, 48, who ‘hammered nail through pig’s head’ in front yard and cut carcass into chops is convicted of cruelty – by Steve Robson – PUBLISHED: 12:00 GMT, 28 November 2012 | UPDATED: 12:10 GMT, 28 November 2012
A man who inhumanely slaughtered a pig in his front yard before butchering it has been convicted of animal cruelty charges.
A shocked RSPCA officer found former boxer Ricky Clarkson, 48, cutting up the animal on a table in the front yard of his house in May this year after being called to the property by a neighbour.
He initially said he had killed the pig by hammering a nail through its head before later changing his story and telling a court he had slit its throat.
Butchered: After catching Ricky Clarkson butchering the pig in his front yard, RSPCA officers found parcels of pork chops in his freezer when they returned with a warrant to search his property
Butchered: After catching Ricky Clarkson butchering the pig in his front yard, RSPCA officers found parcels of pork chops in his freezer when they returned with a warrant to search his property
When RSPCA officers returned 10 days later with a search warrant, they found parcels of pig meat stored in a freezer, the remnants of a carcass in a recycling bin and several knives in a shed.
Mr Clarkson, of Bradmore Way, Coulsdon, south London, then denied having killed the pig with a nail and said he had ‘slit its throat, Halal-style’, Bromley Magistrates Court heard.
He said he was unaware of laws stipulating that pigs should be shot with a stun gun prior to being killed.
Andrew Wiles, prosecuting, said: ‘You are allowed to home-slaughter if you follow the regulations. You did not do that. You are coming up with your story today now you know what those regulations are.’
Cruelty: Officers found several knives in Mr Clarkson’s shed when they returned to search the property
Mr Clarkson, defending himself, said he had used a captive bolt gun to stun the pig before killing it but had lied to officers because he feared prosecution for possessing the gun.
He said: ‘I kill animals law-abidingly and honestly.’
He said he planned to eat the pig and had also shot kangaroos in the past.
Saved from the chop: The RSCPA rescued this pig from Mr Clarkson’s house after he was banned from keeping in animals for a year
Saved from the chop: The RSCPA rescued this pig from Mr Clarkson’s house after he was banned from keeping animals for a year
He denied causing unnecessary suffering to an animal by killing it in an inhumane manner, failing to prevent suffering to an animal that was his responsibility and killing a pig without prior stunning.
But magistrates found him guilty of all three charges and banned him from owning pigs, sheep or chickens for a year.
He was also fined £150 and ordered to pay £1,000 costs.
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Change the law for ownership of bolt guns. Every meat eating person should learn how to slaughter their own food. There is if course the option to wait for natural death of the food animal, but the costs would rise tremendously, though spiritually this would be as as good as vegetarianism (died of natural causes) if the animal had lived in generally pleasant (non-battery-like surroundings). BTW, the chicken meat eater does more harm than a dog meat eater simply by virtue of the living conditions of the animal before slaughter! Dogs probably were wandering freely as opposed to battery chickens!
This is a disgrace!! …..how can someone be convicted for making yummy chops? …..the RSPCA should be shut down!
– Rich T , London, 28/11/2012 14:02
Haha at the ‘Halal-style’ slaughter. It’s a pig for goodness sake, anything but halal! – SarahIslam , Blackburn, 28/11/2012 12:29 ===== Yes, Sarah, we all know that pigs are haran – but other animals are killed halal-style or, indeed, kosher-style. The method of killing is still the same.
– Guto Nythbran 44 , Roving, 28/11/2012 13:43
ARTICLE 12
Warning issued on illegal tomb, grave building
(Xinhua)
16:36, November 20, 2012
An official from the Ministry of Civil Affairs warned on Monday that it might take compulsory measures to ensure the dead were buried in accordance with regulations, following ongoing incidence of illegally-built tombs and graves.
The Regulation of Funeral Management, was issued by the State Council on Nov 16, stipulating that tombs and cemeteries should not be built on arable farmland, in forests, or at scenic spots.
He Qingxun, director of the funeral management section of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, said in an interview with xinhuanet.com that the civil affairs authorities could apply to the courts to take compulsory measures if tombs were illegally built.
Law of Land Management rules stipulate that those who build tombs on arable farmland can be punished.
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Single tombs OR family cemeteries could be built on PRIVATELY OWNED AND FREEHOLD arable farmland (private residential properties also should be allowed, provided the graves do not occupy more than 50% of the land area, for arable farmland, no more than 25%). As for public forests, or at public scenic spots the prohibition is reasonable. This SAVES citizen funds which could circulate in the economy than being given to already wealthy cemetary running company people, and helps in preventing extreme sequestration of wealth by any licensed cemetaries especially those which only lease cemetaries which need to be paid for with very high premiums after a period of several decades.
See Article 18 Response for some issues :
Trump Wants To Be Buried On Golf Course – Tuesday, November 20, 2012 3:55 am
When it comes to Donald Trump, everything is exaggerated.
So it should come as no surprise that Trump wants to build a luxurious, three-acre cemetery on one of his golf courses for himself, his family and members of his country club.
Still, it’s somewhat jarring to read about Trump’s ambitious plans.
The Bedminster Township Committee will consider Trump’s application to construct two lots of cemeteries at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J. One lot will be .28 acres and have 82 cemetery plots, while the other will be 2.65 acres and have 942 plots. The cemeteries are intended for the Trump family as well as lifetime members of the country club. According to NJ.com, membership fees for the club can be as much as $300,000.
And if you think that is over-the-top, this is actually a scaled-down version of what Trump originally wanted. In 2007 he applied for a family mausoleum to be built alongside the course’s first hole. According to NJ.com, the plans called for a 19-foot tall stone structure with four obelisks surrounding its exteriors and a small altar with six vaults inside. Local officials nixed that plan, calling it “gaudy and out of step with the town’s rural character.”
Trump also owns golf courses in Puerto Rico and Scotland, but the course in Bedminster is perhaps the most luxurious.
“I wanted to build this course to the absolute highest standards in golf,” Trump said in May. “If the choice is ever made to [hold the U.S. Open here], I know it would do fantastically well. If that should happen, it would be a great honor.”
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Unlike the high density acloves in Columbariums, 3 Acres should be more than enough for after Trump passes on for a comfy haunting space.
ARTICLE 13
I want to be a porn star – November 26, 2012
NOV 26 — At least, that’s what seems to be on some people’s minds.
Internet porn is so prevalent that they are creating .xxx domains for porn sites. All the .com domain of porn sites will move to the new .xxx domain — which just goes to show how large this industry has become.
At the time of writing, the controversial news of the blog entitled “Sumptious Erotica” is no longer in the headlines but people still talk about it.
By now, everybody knows that the couple — one was an Asean scholar (but since his blog made the news, his scholarship has been revoked) studying at the National University of Singapore while the other is his girlfriend — posted pictures and videos of their sexual exploits on their blog.
Just because anyone can post online, this couple decided to post sexually explicit content on their blog site. Although Alvin Tan has since apologised to NUS for bringing disrepute to the university, we can see how the Internet exposes us to pornographic materials.
According to the DailyTech website, one-third of the Internet is filled with pornographic material. Meanwhile, TheWeek.com reports there are 28,000 Internet users viewing porn every second, and that there are 1,536 websites that distribute child pornography (according to Internet Watch Foundation), and one in seven youths reports being solicited for sex online and 43 per cent of Internet users view pornographic materials online.
While porn used to be associated with dark, dingy establishments that only sleazy men seem to enter, today any Tom, Dick and Harry can have access to pornographic material online.
The Forrester Research published a report on the online adult content industry and pegged it at US$75 million (RM232 million) to US$1 billion. That’s the equivalent to some Third World countries’ GDP and that research is outdated. No one has tried to estimate the value of the online porn industry as it has become difficult to track buying habits of porn fans.
But what does this mean to young adults?
Youths increasingly think sex is nothing and have no qualms displaying their bedroom antics in public. After all, Alvin boasted he was getting offers to star in porn movies.
Pray tell, what hot-blooded young man wouldn’t want his day job to require him having sex all day — and getting paid for it? Okay, some men actually dream of changing the world but that’s another story.
And what about young women?
Porn actress Sasha Grey said on “The Tyra Banks Show” that her porn films are “sex positive” and encouraged women to explore their sexuality. The question running through my head is this: if an Asean scholar can be proud of being offered a part in porn movies, what hope do mere mortals have?
* The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the columnist.
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
. . . offered a part in porn movies, what hope do mere mortals have? . . .
This has nothing to do with ASEAN scholars who tend to be apparatchik linked bureaucrats’ children and cronies of government colluding suppliers and contractors who do not need to compete with the non-scholars even in this area. Any uneducated person with the looks and sexuality will be no mere mortal. At least the beautiful people of the world have an additional option barring ‘ugliness/freaky’ porn which also enables a better life from sheer volume.
ARTICLE 14
Female porn stars have higher self-esteem and better quality of life than other women, according to new study – by Lucy Waterlow – PUBLISHED: 16:34 GMT, 26 November 2012 | UPDATED: 16:38 GMT, 26 November 2012
Positive outlook: Adult film stars like Jenna Jameson, pictured, were found to have a better quality of life in a recent study
A study published this week has debunked the stereotypical portrayal of porn actresses as ‘damaged goods’ who enter the adult entertainment industry because they suffer from low esteem or have been victims of childhood sexual abuse.
The report in the Journal of Sex Research found that porn stars are not more likely to have psychological problems than other women.
In fact, they discovered those in the sex entertainment industry had a more positive outlook on life with higher self-confidence and more flattering views on their body image.
‘In terms of psychological characteristics, porn actresses had higher levels of self-esteem, positive feelings, social support, sexual satisfaction and spirituality compared to the matched group,’ the report summarises.
Researchers at Pennsylvania’s Shippensburg University, Texas Woman’s University and the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation said they found no evidence to support the ‘damaged goods hypothesis’ that all porn actresses have come from backgrounds of sexual abuse.
What the Dickens? Erotic fiction is 4,000% more popular than high quality literature as passion for ‘mummy porn’ sees off the classics
Rowan Pelling’s sex advice column: My boyfriend can’t get over my fling…even though we were on a break
‘Some descriptions of actresses in pornography have included attributes such as drug addiction, homelessness, poverty, desperation and being victims of sexual abuse.
‘Some have made extreme assertions, such as claiming that all women in pornography were sexually abused as children,’ the report states.
But ‘there were no differences in incidence of childhood sexual abuse’ between the porn actresses questioned and the cross section of ‘average’ women, according to their findings.
High self-esteem: Porn actresses had more self-confidence and were happy with their body image compared to the other women questioned (posed by model)
The report, entitled Pornography Actresses: An Assessment of the Damaged Goods Hypothesis, adds these stereotypes have been embraced by anti-porn campaigners even though they found no evidence to support the view that porn actresses are less psychologically stable then other women.
‘Stereotypes of those involved in adult entertainment have been used to support or condemn the industry and to justify political views on pornography, although the actual characteristics of actresses are unknown because no study on this group of women has been conducted,’ the report explains.
‘In terms of psychological characteristics, porn actresses had higher levels of self-esteem, positive feelings, social support, sexual satisfaction and spirituality’
For the study, the researchers compared 177 adult entertainment actresses aged from 18 to 50 with women of the same age, ethnicity and marital status who are not in the porn industry.
The average time the women questioned had spent working in the sex entertainment industry was three-and-a-half years with all of them being paid to work on at least one X-rated movie.
More than one-third were either married or in a serious relationship, while 44 per cent were single.
The study compared their sexual behaviour and attitutes, self-esteem, quality of life and drug use with the ‘average’ women.
The adult entertainers were found to have higher self-esteem with more positive views on their body image.
Protesters: The researchers said they didn’t find evidence to support anti-porn campaigners views that women in the industry are more likely to have a background of childhood sexual abuse
Protesters: The researchers said they didn’t find evidence to support anti-porn campaigners views that women in the industry are more likely to have a background of childhood sexual abuse
They also had greater levels of spirituality and were rated as having a better quality of life because they slept better and had more energy.
Almost 70 per cent said they had a fulfilling sex life compared to 33 per cent of the other women.
In terms of their sexual history, the report found that the porn actresses had more sexual partners, were more likely to be bisexual and had become sexually active at a younger age – the average being 15 years compared to 17 for the non-porn industry workers.
While the report challenged the stereotype of porn actresses as drug addicts, drug use was found to be more prevalent among the entertainers. They were more likely to have tried ten different types of drugs compared to the control group.
[[[ *** RESPONSE *** ]]]
Do differentiate between non-GMO ORGANIC drugs which most of humanity used before the industrial era and SYNTHETIC DRUGS which do not break down naturally.
ARTICLE 15
Bare necessities – By Raymond Zhou ( China Daily) – – Updated: 2012-11-27 17:22
A group of naturists admire the view from a hilltop on the outskirts of Beijing. Photos provided to China Daily
China’s naturists often fantasize about baring it all in the sun and the wind, but secluded and safe places are hard to find and public acceptance is equally lacking. Raymond Zhou takes a closer look at the bare facts.
Autumn offers the best weather for Beijing. In 2009, a group of six people took advantage of the golden autumn days and drove 120 kilometers to a far suburb of the capital city in search of a place where they cannot be seen.
They were naturists, who go with the intention of strolling about in their birthday suits in the embrace of Mother Nature.
One of them had discovered a mountain in Huairou, to the northeast of central Beijing. There were no tourists, and they picked a trail with no traces of other humans. After climbing up for half an hour, they came to a giant flat rock. It seemed ideal for sunbathing au naturel.
Before they could totally relax, however, they were visited by a large swarm of wasps. The insects seemed especially attracted to the two female members of the group. While fending off the winged invaders, the naturists found to their dismay that they themselves had trespassed. There were two hornets’ nests beneath the rock.
As they left the place and trekked deeper into the mountain, they stumbled onto more wildlife — a swarm of butterflies and a lone snake. Finally, they settled on a spot under a chestnut tree. Using twigs as a temporary fence so that insects would climb up rather than sneak in, the group put towels on the trodden grass and started taking off their clothes.
The best thing about this spot was, they could see people coming up, but not vice versa. The worst thing: It was too cramped for comfort.
This episode is typical of the dilemma faced by China’s growing numbers of naturists.
Bare necessities
In a country with more than 1.3 billion people, it is not easy to find a public space that is naturally secluded. Wherever you go, you are likely to run into someone who is not ready to accept social nudity, or worse, who is prone to interpret such acts as hooliganism, a vague term in China that may encompass anything from sexual harassment to graffiti.
According to Fang Gang, an expert on sex and gender issues, it is impossible to estimate the number of naturists in China, but he speculates the potential is massive.
For Chinese naturists, finding a public space that is naturally secluded is always a challenge. Photo provided to China Daily
“Anyone who went skinny-dipping while on an overseas excursion is basically a naturist,” he says. Likewise, nobody knows how many naturist groups China has because none has been officially registered.
In online forums, there are many groups with a proclaimed interest in naturism. But Fang explains that most of them only talk about it. Nothing will come out of it, he says.
A few would organize meetings, not the clothing optional type, but fully dressed, for more talks about the possibility of arranging something. Out of those, a very small fraction may truly do something like the autumn getaway described above.
Fang Gang, whose recent book on naturism is the first in the country to tackle the phenomenon, argues that existing Chinese laws do not make this kind of public nudity illegal.
The most frequently cited law says: Anyone who molests others or intentionally exposes oneself in a public place and causes bad consequences will be subject to detention of more than five days but less than 10 days.
Fang interprets it as a law which targets exhibitionists who expose their private parts to harass another person.
“Naturists care only about their own state of dressing and do not intend to target any outsiders. They do not have an object for violation,” he says.
As a matter of fact, China’s naturists go out of their way to avoid what they call the “textile public”. That is why it is so troublesome for them to find a natural enclave where they can rest or play sports stark naked.
Usually when a naturist bumps into a non-naturist in the wilderness, he will cover himself with his backpack and let the other person pass. The clothed person, who might be startled, ideally understands what’s been encountered and moves on.
It only becomes a problem when the police or media get alerted, says Fang. The cops may come and drive away the naturists if it is a regular hangout; or the media may report on it, eliciting derision and outcries from the public.
“Anyone who went skinny-dipping while on an overseas excursion is basically a naturist,” he says. Likewise, nobody knows how many naturist groups China has because none has been officially registered.
In online forums, there are many groups with a proclaimed interest in naturism. But Fang explains that most of them only talk about it. Nothing will come out of it, he says.
A few would organize meetings, not the clothing optional type, but fully dressed, for more talks about the possibility of arranging something. Out of those, a very small fraction may truly do something like the autumn getaway described above.
Fang Gang, whose recent book on naturism is the first in the country to tackle the phenomenon, argues that existing Chinese laws do not make this kind of public nudity illegal.
The most frequently cited law says: Anyone who molests others or intentionally exposes oneself in a public place and causes bad consequences will be subject to detention of more than five days but less than 10 days.
Fang interprets it as a law which targets exhibitionists who expose their private parts to harass another person.
“Naturists care only about their own state of dressing and do not intend to target any outsiders. They do not have an object for violation,” he says.
As a matter of fact, China’s naturists go out of their way to avoid what they call the “textile public”. That is why it is so troublesome for them to find a natural enclave where they can rest or play sports stark naked.
Usually when a naturist bumps into a non-naturist in the wilderness, he will cover himself with his backpack and let the other person pass. The clothed person, who might be startled, ideally understands what’s been encountered and moves on.
It only becomes a problem when the police or media get alerted, says Fang. The cops may come and drive away the naturists if it is a regular hangout; or the media may report on it, eliciting derision and outcries from the public.
“But after the police and the media are gone, the naturists will come back. Local authorities turn a blind eye,” he says. “The nude beach in Sanya was shut down in 2008 when it made headlines, but there’s a lot of clothing-free activities there now.”
He also visited the famous nudist park on Harbin’s Sun Island. It turned out to be a very isolated patch inside the mammoth park that takes great effort to locate.
Fang says, to his knowledge, no one in China has ever been punished for naturist activities.
“The most the police would do is to banish a naturist from a public premise.”
There have been several reported incidents involving artists, who use streaking or other forms of nudism for artistic creation, but these were officially banned. The online public tends to label them “strange”, “crazy” or “perverse”.
The biggest misconception about naturism, insists Fang Gang, who has written some 50 books on sexology, is sex.
While the public predominantly sees naturism as a precursor to sex, naturists contend that pure naturism is anything but sex.
Fang Gang argues that nude is a natural state. Except for the most physically attractive among us, he says, clothing enhances sexual appeal while total nudity would do the opposite.
Those who want to use social nudism for sexcapades are in for a rude awakening.
A Beijing naturist with the nickname Piggy has participated in a few clothing-optional outings. He says the kind of group atmosphere is not inductive to sexual fantasy.
“Everyone knows where the line is, and nobody wants to cross it. People may tell a few dirty jokes, but that’s not different from a regular group trip.”
However, in online bulletin boards, one of the most frequent questions that pop up is about sexual arousal: “What if I have an erection in front of others, especially females?”
Naturists interviewed for Fang’s book claim this is extremely rare. Most have never encountered it. For those few who have witnessed it, they say it’s usually handled by temporarily covering oneself with a towel.
“It quickly goes away,” they add.
Naturist forums strictly ban the posting of photos of a sexual nature. In a nudist colony, one is not supposed to leer at another person or say anything provocative.
No sexual activities are allowed in public, not even between couples. Some groups even prohibit dancing or alcohol drinking for fear that they may lead to fondling.
Many approach naturist groups with sexual curiosity. For example, many men would inquire about female members in a group. They would back away once they find out no female has signed up for a group gathering.
On the other hand, the appearance of a pretty young woman would invariably attract a lot of attention.
A 24-year-old Beijing woman named Xiu-xiu went to a group spa, her first nudist event, and disrobed while eating. Some men noticed this and joked that she was “burning with sexual desire”.
“Nothing is pure,” she says afterwards. “It is human nature. But why can men walk around bare-chested and women cannot?”
Among those who lean toward nudism but balk at taking it all off are people uncomfortable with their own bodies. “I’d do it if I’m physically fit,” some would say.
In a larger picture, Chinese society, unlike the ancient Greeks, does not celebrate the human body. While some can accept the aesthetic beauty of the supermodel type in artistically tasteful arrangements, most tend to treat a regular nude as an ugly sight, something to be covered up.
There is essentially no tradition in China of enjoying the nude for what it is — other than a sexual object.
There are occasions where public nudity is accepted, such as in public bathhouse where people of the same gender shower or bathe together without any awkwardness. But with widespread indoor plumbing and private bathrooms, this, too, is dying out.
“Most people believe nudism has to be associated with sex,” says Fang Gang. “Deep down, we still adopt an attitude of mystery and sexual objectification toward nudism. And beyond that, we tend to paint sex in a negative light.”
Li Yinhe, another renowned sexologist, says that Chinese culture has always been conservative toward nudity with the possible exception of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907) with its sexually suggestive fashion and dance moves.
“Whether you regard the human body as beautiful or ugly, it should not be used as a moral guide for nudism.
The bottom line is whether such an activity infringes on others. If nudism does not hurt others, it is not immoral.
Even if 99 percent of the population may not like it, they should still respect the choice of the 1 percent,” Li says.
Meanwhile, many Chinese naturists admit they are made to “feel like thieves”, either in private homes or stripping just long enough in nature to take a photo or two.
All they want, says Fang Gang, is a natural environment that is relatively private, maybe an uninhabited island.
Contact the writer at raymondzhou@chindadaily.com.cn.
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Ok, USA seriously needs to keep up with the Chinese Human Rights Joneses now. The ‘Nudist Challenge’ simply is to zone spaces (probably natural settings, but even urban settings could work if the preference is there) in appropriate size to the registered communities. The ‘Morally Affluent’ in USA have been terming nudists as ‘Human Form of Vermin’ long enough. Time for ‘Barry Stark’ to take over appropriate districts in all state capitals if ‘Iron Man Suits’ are to have any chance of besting China based on per capita number of nudists, so pay attention boffins, heres your fine example of ‘Chaos Physics’ . . .
ARTICLE 16
Powerball jackpot dreams: Buy a house, help others – by Allison Linn, TODAY
Yes, we all know that we’re more likely to be struck by lightning or attacked by a shark than to win one of the lottery’s biggest jackpots.
But the bad odds didn’t stop readers this week from dreaming about what they would do if they had been the biggest winners of the $580 million Powerball drawing on Wednesday night.
A post this week on how you could amend your holiday shopping list if you raked in the big jackpot got readers talking about how they could improve their lives – and the lives of others – with hundreds of millions of dollars.
Follow @todaymoney
Of the nearly 20,000 people who took our survey, more than half said their No.1 goal would be to buy a really nice house.
“A new home for my parents to move in with me in their old age then remodel my old home and donate it to homeless veterans,” one reader wrote.
Many readers said their first impulse would be to help others, in addition to themselves.
“I’d make sure every kid in my county had a good meal, decent clothes, supplies, and something fun–just for starters,” one reader wrote.
Others said they’d like to give back to organizations that have helped them in the past.
“My gift would be to donate a majority to Children’s Hospital -Wisconsin. They saved my kid’s life and I will never be able to repay them,” one grateful reader wrote.
Many readers had modest dreams, involving the things and people they loved.
“Nothing too fancy. I would like my ’66 Chevy truck fully restored, a decent house with a shop, and then a historic tour through Europe,” one reader wrote.
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Try this one. Set up a string of banks in USA’s largest cities based on the next article’s response (ARTICLE 17). Prestigious and helpful to set up, and also a much needed and long overdue slap in the face of the greed minded extremist-Capitalists. USA is not about Capitalism and enriching CEOs. USA is about freedom.
ARTICLE 17
Sen. Sanders: Wall Street CEOs are the ‘Faces of Class Warfare’ – Common Dreams staff – Published on Friday, November 30, 2012 by Common Dreams
Incredulous that Wall Street investment bankers and billionaire CEOs have descended on Washington in the midst of ongoing budget talks to tell Americans that they should “lower their expectations” when it comes to the security of their retirement and future health care, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders took to the Senate floor Thursday to call out the audacity of corporate-minded millionaires and billionaires, calling them the new “face of class warfare” in the United States.
“I find it literally beyond comprehension, that we have folks from Wall Street who received huge bailouts from the people of our country—from working families in this country—because of the greed and recklessness and illegal behavior, which Wall Street did to drive us into this recession, and now these very same people are coming here to Congress to lecture us and the American people about how we have to cut Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid while they enjoy huge salaries and retirement benefits.”
Sanders specifically called out CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, who has recently been making both the media rounds and consulting with lawmakers regarding the ongoing tax and budget debate in Washington during the current lame duck session. Blankfein, one of the highest paid executives on Wall Street and worth hundred of millions personally, made the comments about ‘lowered expectations’ in a recent evening news interview with CBS and said that average Americans should understand that the US simply can’t “afford” to maintain programs like Social Security and Medicare.
The facts of such sentiments, as many economists repeatedly point out, are false, but Sanders said that Blankfein delivered the familiar rightwing trope “with all the sympathy for someone struggling to get by on $14,000-a-year retirement that you’d expect from a Wall Street banker paid $16 million last year.”(Background image via New York Magazine)
Blankfein is also a member of the CEO cabal that has come together under the banner ‘Fix The Debt’ to protect the historically low tax rates of the nation’s wealthy elite while simultaneously calling for the slashing of social programs. As the Huffington Post reports:
CEOs including Blankfein have been warning that the fiscal cliff could hurt business investment, hiring and the economy as a whole, and they have been calling for cuts to the social safety net to avert it. Dozens of major CEOs, including Blankfein, are members of the CEO council of the campaign Fix the Debt, which calls for cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and vague Social Security reform to address the deficit. More than 80 CEOs, including Blankfein, also signed a recent letter calling for deficit reduction.
But as a recent report from the Institute for Policy Studies aimed to show, the ‘Fix the Debt’ campaign, which has raised $60 million to lobby for a debt deal that “would reduce corporate taxes and shift costs onto the poor and elderly,” is really just a Trojan horse designed to use an invented debt crisis to achieve long-held agenda goals.
“Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and recklessness nearly destroyed the financial system and now they come to Capitol Hill to lecture Congress and the American people about the need to cut programs for working families.” — Sen. Bernie Sanders
The CEOs involved in the group, including Blankfein, are trying to “pass themselves off as noble leaders who are willing to compromise in order the save America from financial ruin,” explain co-authors of the report Scott Klinger and Sarah Anderson. But the reality is that these CEOs are “leveraging the ‘Fiscal Cliff'” in order to push age old attempts to avoid paying taxes at the expense of those in need, they say.
And, as Ezra Klein points out in a recent Bloomberg op-ed, the US has an ‘austerity crisis’ not a ‘debt crisis’. Klein argues that employing the much-used term “fiscal cliff” mistates the nature of the financial and policy realities. Worse, he says, the term “provides no hint of how to solve it.”
He says, “I prefer the term ‘austerity crisis,’ which at least describes the real issue — too much austerity, imposed too quickly.”
Called by its true name or not, the CEOs behind ‘Fix the Debt’—with Lloyd Blankfein and Honeywell’s David Cote leading the charge— are using the generated panic around the talks as a way to impose their own interests and have proven unafraid to speak boldly and use their fast resources to make their case.
However, what Klinger and Anderson call ‘leverage’, Sanders simply called arrogance Thursday.
“Think about the arrogance of these guys on Wall Street who were bailed out by the middle class of this country when their greed and recklessness nearly destroyed the financial system and now they come to Capitol Hill to lecture Congress and the American people about the need to cut programs for working families,” he said
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Banks take your money and return you 1-3% in FLAT interest in most areas of the world. But what most people fail to connect is that the bank takes the money you deposit and lends THE SAME MONEY to a loan taker at up to 20% COMPOUND interest. This means banks get a 10 times the premium on what you get in interest ON YOUR MONEY. So 99%ters please do yourself a favour and either :
– NOT deposit your cash in the bank
– store in actual gold which does not drop in value – any respectable country should have that facility for state protected gold sales
– do not buy from banks PASS BOOK Gold ‘ON REPUTATION’, the government has colluded even while selling actual gold in many cases (in most cases and the bank will act as if they can deliver the actual gold which they do not have)
– OR set up a people’s cooperative bank in your local community
A people’s cooperative bank in your local community that REWARDS the depositors with at very least 50% of what the bank makes YEARLY in redistributed interest from loan profits (no loans given out means no profits btw) AND NOT give massive bonuses to CEOs or Exec staff more than 1% of the bank’s profits instead. (That same money could have been given as high INTEREST RATES for all depositors but instead the idiot 1% CEO gets the payout)
While a cooperative’s poorer paying bank (this is a bank for degree holders with a conscience) might not attract ‘brand name’ CEOs, financially the DEPOSITORS get the better deal and the bank will not be BILLIONS in debt while propped up by the state. Any private bank may set up any rules or rates, and the first rule should be that the any GOOD/HONEST BANK should apply/ackhnowledgge before setting rates is that THE DEPOSITOR’S CAPITAL IS THE BASIS OF THE BANK’S ABILITY TO LEND.
The base required capital for a bank to be set up is generally a few million, nothing a bunch of 401K citizens could set up in several man band (rebels of the banking system no less much like the difference between punk bands out of a back of a van as opposed to 950 sterling seat ticket concerts), though the cooperative must be fully prepared for saboteurs taking loans and all other dirty tricks INCLUDING government collusion in preventing setting up of the bank to protect collusive interests between term limitless bureaucrats and term limitless politicians. Finally public listing means a bank is a gambling machine with overinflated value that can disappear as fast as stockholders run and is liable to sabotage. A stock listed bank is far more dangerous than a non-stock listed bank due to false flag acquisitions and ‘majority stockholders’ (who doubtless will use the red ocean mindset on the bank’s assets), though the branch issue could be a problem unless similarly structures cooperatives begin cooperating worldwide.
Vermont – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Vermont is the 6th least extensive and the 2nd least populous of the 50 United States of America … (low density means a good life that allowed the people living there to retain high ideals, as for lest extensive that might foster community awareness . . . the environment colours the citizens, and as opposed to NTDBF (no prizes for the acronym) Singapore, – in Penang, guess what colours this writer learnt . . . but greener pastures await if Lynas doesn’t destroy one of the last rainforest reserves in the world first from the city out . . .)
ARTICLE 18
KPJ Healthcare acquires stake in Thailand hospital – November 29, 2012
JOHOR BAHARU, Nov 29 – KPJ Healthcare Bhd, a member of Johor Corporation (JCorp) Group, continues its aggressive expansion in the regional healthcare market by acquiring a substantial stake in a Thailand hospital.
Its Chairman Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim said KPJ forked out RM63 million to buy 23 per cent of multi specialty private healthcare provider, Vejthani Hospital, in Bangkok.
The 500-bed hospital is famous for its specialty in orthopaedic treatment.
“The stake acquisition in a Thailand Hospital will expand KPJ’s reach within Asean’s healthcare market. The potential profit contribution from Vejthani Hospital is expected to enhance KPJ Group’s earnings in the future,” said Kamaruzzaman, who is also JCorp President and Chief Executive, to reporters after attending KPJ’s extraordinary general meeting.
He said the stake acquisition would be fulfilled via internal-generated funds but the transaction was expected to increase the company’s gearing by about six per cent by the second quarter of next year.
KPJ bought the stake from a private equity fund.
According to Vejthani Hospital’s website, it handled about 300,000 patients annually, with its share of international patients coming from 40 different countries worldwide.
He said efforts to grow KPJ’s medical tourism segment was continuing, with the company targeting to raise the revenue contribution from the segment to as high as 25 per cent by 2020.
“Today, KPJ’s health tourism patients are mainly from Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Somalia, Singapore, India and the Middle East,” he said.
Besides Malaysia where it owned 22 private specialist hospitals, KPJ also has a presence in Indonesia with two hospitals in Jakarta and a retirement and aged care resort called Jeta Gardens in Brisbane, Australia.
Meanwhile, Managing Director Datin Paduka Siti Sa’diah Sheikh Bakir, who was also present at the media conference, said apart from local parties, KPJ also received enquiries from foreign parties wanting the company to have a presence in their countries.
Today’s EGM was held to discuss three resolutions – proposed acquisition of 80 per cent equity interest in PT Khidmat Perawatan Jasa Medika (PT KPJ Medika) by Kumpulan Perubatan (Johor) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KPJ from JCorp.
The acquisition’s total cost was RM15.8 million, said Kamaruzzaman.
The second resolution was on the proposed disposal of two pieces of land in Johor Baharu by KPJ’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Puteri Specialist Hospital (Johor) Sdn Bhd, to Al-’Aqar Healthcare REIT for a total cash consideration of RM3.6 million.
The last resolution in today’s EGM was on the proposed acquisition of a parcel of vacant commercial land in Mukim Tebrau, Johor Baharu, by Renalcare Perubatan (M) Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of KPJ from Johor Land Bhd for RM45 million.
The purchase of the land in Bandar Dato Onn was to enable KPJ to build a 150-bed private hospital, costing RM100 million, by early next year and be completed by 2015.
KPJ’s Bandar Dato Onn Hospital was one of the six hospitals the company planned to build throughout the country, which was under the ambit of the government’s Entry Point Projects (EPP). – Bernama
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Guess those white (or any well informed) VIPs won’t want to go to Thailand anymore. Knowing what some Muslets are like, every VIP who steps into that Thai hospital (or any hospital with strong funding from certain regions) will have their brains scanned and their souls converted to Islam (not very effective but mostly mind control form – that is why there are suicide bombers only in Islam IMHO . . . 3rd world types brainwashed into violent natures and terrorism . . . ). We can imagine the form this will take, the committee will give face by allowing in Muslim medical personnel and well, we all know where that goes from here don’t we? Subverted citizens haplessly unaware of Muslet involvement in medical industry in Thailand. Guesss India or even China will take over or medical tourism here on. Poor Thailand, not very careful and this could be LGBT hate inspired in a very chilling manner, with inhumane intent! One thing we have learn from living in a Muslim country (look into the soul of this one specifically to know the dangers of a Muslet riddled medical institution), much less medical tourism or something scarier in the article below . . .
ARTICLE 19
Novel Beta Coronavirus Mecca Linkage Raises Concerns – Recombinomics Commentary 20:00 – November 28, 2012
He was a previously well 49 year-old man who developed a mild undiagnosed respiratory illness while visiting Saudi Arabia during August 2012, which fully resolved. He subsequently presented to a physician in Qatar on 3 September, with cough, myalgia and arthralgia, and was prescribed oral antibiotics. Five days later, he was admitted to a Qatari hospital with fever (38.4 °C) and hypoxia, with oxygen saturation of 91% on room air. A chest X-ray showed bilateral lower zone consolidation. He was treated with ceftriaxone, azithromycin and oseltamivir. After 48 hours, he required intubation and ventilation and was transferred by air ambulance to London. During transfer, he was clinically unstable, requiring manual ventilation.
Mounts says when the first two infections with this virus were spotted, in June and then September, both men had been in Mecca, Saudia Arabia, before they got sick. As such the chance existed that the source of infection — which is currently unknown — was only found there.
But the newest infections show that isn’t possible. Some of the Saudi cases had not been to Mecca before they got sick. They live in and fell ill in Riyadh, the capital. And the most recent case from Qatar lives in Doha and had not recently travelled outside the country.
The above comments raise questions about a Mecca source for the novel betacornavirus reported in the past few months. The first set of comments (in red) is from a Eurosuveillance report on the first confirmed case (49M) from Qatar. Although the patient developed a severe illness more than 10 days after returning from a visit to Saudi Arabia, a mild respiratory illness developed while in Saudi Arabia, raising concerns that the coronavirus isolated after transfer to London caused the mild disease in Saudi Arabia and then caused the more severe symptoms when the patient relapsed.
The second set of comments (in blue) cite a WHO technical representative, who notes that both of the initial confirmed cases had traveled to Mecca prior to symptoms, raising concerns that these initial cases were linked to infections in Mecca that were linked to preparations for the Hajj which includes visits to Mecca and Medina by pilgrims who journey to Saudi Arabia from many countries outside of the Middle East including Indonesia, Pakistan, and India. The brother of the surviving case 49F indicated his brother went to Mecca for Umrah week.
This linkage of the Qatar case to the Hajj may have precipitated the curious comments in an October 22 ProMed report by Dr Ziad Memish who is the Deputy Minister of Public Health for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) as well as Director for WHO Collaborating Center for Mass Gatherings. Memish was concerned that ProMED was reporting notifiable diseases outside of normal channels and noted that there was more of a story to tell. Although KSA reported the two cases above, the reports on subsequent cases lacked detail. The third case was hospitalized in Riyadh and was recovering, but no age, gender, or dates were released. The same was true for the fourth case, which was also in Riyadh and media reports indicated the KSA MoH noted the cases had no serious consequences, yet two relatives of the fourth case had died after renal failure. Renal failure was also reported for the first two confirmed cases as well as about 5% of SARS cases in 2003. Most of the SARS CoV cases with renal failure died.
Similarly, WHO described the recent cases from Saudi Arabia as well as the second case from Qatar, while withholding age, gender, and dates. The WHO report did indicate that two of the confirmed cases were epidemiologically linked to each other as well as two additional symptomatic family members. The untested family member (70M) died after developing renal failure as did his son, who tested positive for the novel betacornavirus. The fourth family member was symptomatic, but tested negative. Some media reports suggest he may be retested. Media reports also indicted the son was hospitalized after his father died, suggest a gap in disease onset dates signaling human to human transmission. Media reports also indicate the cluster was in October, but not reported until November 23. The height of Hajj activities were in October, which is also when the second Qatar case was infected, although he did not travel outside of Doha prior to his illness.
Media reports indicated all six confirmed cases and the two probable cases were male, which may have affected testing or may have been related to religious ceremonies which limit interactions between genders. The linkage of the first two confirmed cases to Mecca raises concerns that the novel coronavirus may have spread among Hajj attendees, who subsequently spread the virus to other locations, including Riyadh and Doha.
More information on the Riyadh cluster, include ages and disease onset dates as well as sequences from the associated coronavirus, would be useful.
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Bioterrorism perhaps (and this could be from either side . . . )? Those hapless subverted pilgrims especially from any Western (or even ASEAN) country could be (and have been) now carrying a dusting of anything terribly dangerous, some of which will not be ‘activated’ until the warm season etc., nanomites etc.. Every nation with pilgrims had better give all Hajj returnees a good hazmat treatment and quarantine when they return . . .
ARTICLE 20
Chinese tycoon must reapply for approval on Iceland resort – December 02, 2012
REYKJAVIK, Dec 2 – A Chinese tycoon who wants to build a major tourist resort in a remote corner of northeast Iceland must reapply for permission to go ahead with the project, Icelandic media reported yesterday.
Cabinet ministers, led by Industry Minister Steingrimur Sigfusson, said they were unable to make a final decision on Huang Nubo’s application as much information remained unavailable, state radio RUV reported.
His plans have been highly controversial, with some commentators saying they raise questions about regional security because of Iceland’s strategic location in the Arctic where several nations are competing for resources.
Huang has already agreed with municipalities in the area to lease 70 per cent of a 300-square-km farm, where he plans to build a golf course, hotel and outdoor recreation area.
State radio said Huang’s Iceland-registered firm Zhongkun Grimsstadir had in mid-November asked for more time to supply further information, and that it could take a few more months.
In a letter to architect Halldor Johannsson, Huang’s Icelandic representative, the government said Huang should submit a new application which would be reviewed by a government committee.
Huang, who is chairman of Beijing-based Zhongkun Investment Group and was 161st on the Forbes list of the richest Chinese in 2010, plans to reapply as soon as he has gathered the information needed, RUV reported.
Iceland is recovering from its worst-ever financial crisis after the complete collapse of its top banks in 2008, and it is keen to lure foreign investment.
RUV says there would be investment of about 20 billion Iceland krona (RM482 million) in the project and that 400-600 jobs could be created.
The government’s decision was seen by observers as a sign the cabinet wanted to postpone the matter until after planned parliamentary elections in May next year. – Reuters
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How about giving the nail house another look? Perhaps someone else would like to build on the space where the title is. One would never know who their friends were and China should leave lasting symbols like nail houses in place. China is a disappointment here, or the will of the house owner for love of human rights is not strong enough. Let there be nail houses throughout China!
malaysiandemocracy 