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Today: 60 articles and 221 comments as of 10:37.
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Area: WoT Operations    WoT Background    Opinion        Politix   
Qassim Soleimani, head of Iran's elite Quds force, zapped in Iraq
Today's Headlines
Headline Comments [Views]
Page 3: Non-WoT
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Page 1: WoT Operations
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Page 2: WoT Background
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Page 4: Opinion
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6 11:57 Procopius2k [1]
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Page 6: Politix
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-Lurid Crime Tales-
Colorado town duped out of $1M in bridge construction scam
[NYPOST] Someone had a bridge to sell ... and this Colorado town fell for the scam.

The town of Erie was duped out of more than $1 million when it sent money meant for a bridge construction company to a fake account, according to a new report.

Erie sent just over $1.01 million to an unknown person posing as an employee of SEMA Construction, the company behind the building of the Erie Parkway Bridge, The Denver Post reported, citing a Monday email blast from Erie Town Administrator Michael Fleming.

The scammer had completed a form on the town’s website Oct. 21 requesting a change in how the company would receive payments for the work, the outlet reported.

"Specifically, the change was to receive payments via electronic funds transfer rather than by check," Fleming’s email blast said.

"Although town staff checked some of the information on the form for accuracy, they did not verify the authenticity of the submission with SEMA Construction; they accepted the form and updated the payment method."

Four days later, the town processed two payments to an account not authorized by SEMA ‐ totaling the entire seven-figure amount, according to the report.

"Once the payments were in that account, the perpetrators of this fraud sent the money via wire transfer out of the country," the email blast said.

Town officials were unaware of what had happened until its bank notified them of potential fraud on Nov. 5, according to the report. When officials contacted SEMA regarding the payments, the company said they did not receive it and never requested a payment method change.

So on Nov. 15, the town sent two checks to the actual company for its work on the bridge.

The funds came from a transportation impact fund, which has enough of a balance to temporarily cover the loss pending an insurance claim, Fleming said in the blast.

There is no evidence to indicate that any town employee was involved in criminal activity or had criminal intent.

The town’s finance director has since removed the form used by the scammer from its website ‐ and stopped paying vendors through electronic funds transfer unless appropriately verified.

"The town is actively using other information gleaned from the investigations to identify potential risk and to mitigate those risks," Fleming’s email said.

The town, local police and the FBI are working together to investigate the case, the local paper reported.

Construction began on the bridge last January and it was completed 10 months later.

Posted by: Fred || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Gullibility is still the scammer's and the hacker's best weapon.
Posted by: DarthVader || 01/02/2020 0:55 Comments || Top||

#2  The old saw is, "You can't con an honest man..."
Posted by: M. Murcek || 01/02/2020 1:21 Comments || Top||

#3  I hope they caught the perps - you shouldn't do such things unless you're a congressperson.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 01/02/2020 1:30 Comments || Top||

#4  ...or their immediate family members.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/02/2020 6:40 Comments || Top||

#5  Will he be charged with impersonating a congressperson as well?
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 01/02/2020 7:58 Comments || Top||

#6  Those wacky Nigerians - what will they think of next?
Posted by: Raj || 01/02/2020 8:49 Comments || Top||

#7  Local paving contractor was paid $10,000 dollars to pave a Law enforcement officers driveway. Never done. Individual now resides in local prison again as a result. He claims his problems are him being a Gypsy. He is also loved by several women, so he claims. I have seen him wiggle money from some of the seemingly toughest women. He should have entered politics and worked his magic.
Posted by: Dale || 01/02/2020 8:54 Comments || Top||

#8  Classic Business Email Compromise with a bit of a twist. Scammers were likely electronically inside the construction company for months. Look at the dates also. They payment was sent on Friday giving the scammers the weekend to ping the money around the world. Money is long gone.......
Posted by: Bangkok Billy || 01/02/2020 18:35 Comments || Top||


-Obits-
Taiwan's military chief among eight dead in helicopter crash
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan’s top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday, after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defense ministry said.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/02/2020 05:07 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Yes, I was waiting for this to show up. There are several conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Chinese death rays igniting the fuel, or frying circuitry in the blackhawk chopper; a bomb on board; the Russians did it... and so on. The truth may be, it was just not great weather to make the trip.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 5:22 Comments || Top||

#2  Had the unfortunate experience. Someone on the preflight check failed to insure the oil flow valve was in the open position. Fortunately, the pilot kicked the rotors into neutral and autogyrated to a safe landing. S**t happens.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/02/2020 6:58 Comments || Top||

#3  S**t happens

My underwear would have agreed, P2k.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 01/02/2020 11:49 Comments || Top||


-Land of the Free
FBI data underscores rising threat to places of worship
[IsraelTimes] Monsey stabbing and Texas church shooting join long list of attacks on faith communities, which surged by 34.8% between 2014 and 2018.

When a machete-wielding attacker walked into a rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, during Hanukkah and a gunman fired on worshipers at a Texas church 14 hours later, the two congregations in different regions of the country joined a growing list of faith communities that have come under attack in the US.

It is a group that crosses denominations and geography and has companions around the world. The frequency of attacks has faith leaders and law enforcement grappling with how to protect people when they are at their most vulnerable.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Fortunately for Black Hebrews, they haven't seemed to have suffered any attacks at their places of worship. Or anywhere else.
Posted by: gorb || 01/02/2020 9:55 Comments || Top||

#2  their places of worship

= check-cashing shops & rib joints?
Posted by: Lex || 01/02/2020 9:58 Comments || Top||

#3  ... barbershops ...
Posted by: AlmostAnonymous5839 || 01/02/2020 20:05 Comments || Top||


Africa North
Egypt gov’t debt cuts began in 2019
[AlAhram] The government started a three-year programme to cut its debt levels in 2019.

During the current fiscal year, about 40 per cent of Egypt’s budgeted expenses will be directed to debt-servicing, including both principal and interest repayments. Standing at LE569 billion, the bill is the largest single spending item in the budget.

Egypt’s total debt is ballooning as domestic debt (covering both the debt of the government and other economic agencies) mounted to LE4.2 trillion ($260 billion) in March. The foreign debt, reflecting loans, eurobonds and dollar-denominated treasuries, jumped to $108.7 billion at the end of June, marking a 17 per cent increase from its level a year earlier.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


Egypt approves legalisation of 90 unlicensed churches, bringing total to 1,412
[AlAhram] Egypt has approved the legalisation of 90 unlicensed churches and affiliated service premises since the beginning of December, bringing the total number of legalised churches to 1,412 since 2017, according to a statement issued by the cabinet on Tuesday.

In a meeting with the committee tasked with regulating churches' status, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly stressed on the government's efforts to finalise the legalisation of unlicensed churches soon.

The meeting, which comes a few days ahead of Coptic Orthodox Christmas celebrations, was attended by the ministers of justice, local development, housing, parliamentary affairs, and representatives of concerned authorities.

Egypt passed a law in 2016 easing regulations on church building.
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:


China-Japan-Koreas
Some strange disease in Wuhan
[twitter]
It is clear that a deadly respiratory disease has emerged in Wuhan, China. And most of the >25 cases are connected to a huge, closed fish market. Nothing else is definite. Rumors of #SARS are unconfirmed & doubted. Scientists who know more tell me they are required to keep secret
Posted by: 3dc || 01/02/2020 02:06 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Virologist; it is said are some of the most pessimistic people to talk with concerning the future of human Viruses. "The word virus appeared in 1599 and originally meant "venom".
A very early form of vaccination known as variolation was developed several thousand years ago in China. It involved the application of materials from smallpox sufferers in order to immunize others. In 1717 Lady Mary Wortley Montagu observed the practice in Istanbul and attempted to popularize it in Britain, but encountered considerable resistance". Currently in my area I know of four men who were said to have stomach viruses. They required hospital admissions having lost the use of arms and legs. One transferred to Pittsburgh. The others status unknown. Mother of 40 year old son (she being a nurse) spoke of her sons problem and frustrated at no answers. Patient confidentiality of course prevents this news to be made known to the general public. I will not speculate as to why they have these symptoms but hope the event is a short term problem for them.
Posted by: Dale || 01/02/2020 2:41 Comments || Top||


North Korea vows to develop new strategic weapon if US doesn’t change ‘hostile’ policies
[ALMASDARNEWS] North Korea
...hereditary Communist monarchy distinguished by its truculence and periodic acts of violence. Distinguishing features include Songun (Army First) policy, which involves feeding the army before anyone but the Dear Leadership, and Juche, which is Kim Jong Il's personal interpretation of Marxism-Leninism, which he told everybody was brilliant. In 1950 the industrialized North invaded agrarian South Korea. Twenty-one countries of the United Nations eventually contributed to the UN force opposing the invasion, with the United States providing around 90% of the military personnel. Seventy years later the economic results are in and it doesn't look good for Juche...
n leader Kim Pudge Jong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
promised that his country will continue to develop strategic weapons if the US doesn’t change its "hostile" policy, according to media quoting the leader who spoke during the meeting of ruling party officials, as shown in footage broadcasted by North Korean State TV on Tuesday.

He was quoted as saying that soon "the world will witness a new strategic weapon."

In early December North Korea threatened the US with a ’Christmas gift,’ triggering fears of a possible missile launch. Kim Jong-un set December 31, 2019 as the deadline for Washington to change its position on nuclear talks.
Posted by: Fred || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Commies


More than a million people throng Hong Kong’s streets for a New Year’s Day pro-democracy rally
[TWITTER]

Posted by: Fred || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Commies


Europe
3 women investigated for causing deadly blaze at German zoo
BERLIN (AP) ‐ Three women are under investigation in Germany for launching paper sky lanterns for the new year which apparently ignited a devastating fire that killed more than 30 animals at a zoo, officials said Thursday.

The three local women ‐ a mother and her two daughters, ages 30 to 60 ‐ went to police in the western city of Krefeld on New Year’s Day after authorities held a news conference about the blaze, criminal police chief Gerd Hoppmann said.

The women are being investigated on suspicion of negligent arson, prosecutor Jens Frobel said. The offense can carry a prison sentence of up to five years.

Many Germans welcome in the new year legally with fireworks at midnight. Sky lanterns, however, are both illegal and unusual in Germany. The mini hot-air balloons made of paper have been used in Asia for centuries.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/02/2020 08:18 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  A gentle outpouring of spirit...
And lanterns, the better to share it,
But still in their dreaming
The monkeys are screaming.
"Oh, Mutti, how long must we hear it?"
Posted by: Chavimble Glirong9671 || 01/02/2020 10:28 Comments || Top||

#2  Meine Damen, who'd spiel mit feuer,
Remember the fate of that voyeur:
One, hoist with petard,
Thus shown a retard
More buzzed than a buzzing McCoy-er!
Posted by: Lex || 01/02/2020 10:54 Comments || Top||

#3  gaudy foreign bird
inaudible above us
naughty! laid an egg
Posted by: Chavimble Glirong9671 || 01/02/2020 11:10 Comments || Top||

#4  ^ Was that a koan about a stealth bomber ?
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 12:25 Comments || Top||

#5  Nah, just the predictable B-29, I suppose, and something haiku-y that went kablooey. How could I miss the obvious rhyme for "bird?" [finger-chop]
Posted by: Chavimble Glirong9671 || 01/02/2020 13:08 Comments || Top||

#6  Ah yes ! I meant haiku. Not kablooey. Not kablooey at all.

Rhyme for bird - sheared ?
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 14:42 Comments || Top||

#7  Rhyme for bird - sheared ?

Forget it - he's rollin'...
Posted by: Raj || 01/02/2020 15:26 Comments || Top||

#8  ^ Ha! Me, before clicking the link: "Was it over when the British bombed Bar Harbor?"

Dron... I knew what you meant. Lord knows I'll quibble with some people [sorrowful skyward wave to Dad!], even whole classes of people, but not here. I'm the kind of person who'll make huge sweeping judgements based on little more than a pattern of typos or whatnot... but not here. Can't help smiling when people here are so persnickety about correcting their typos... because I've usually read right over them without noticing. Probably same for others? Eek. Rollover.
Posted by: Chavimble Glirong9671 || 01/02/2020 23:59 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Politix
Obama's NSC Holdovers Finally Booted After Three Years Of Non-Stop Leaks
[Zero Hedge] The White House National Security Council is sharply downsizing 'in a bid to improve efficiency' by consolidating positions and cutting staff, according to the Washington Times - which adds that a secondary, unspoken objective (i.e. the entire reason) for the cuts is to address nonstop leaks that have plagued the Trump administration for nearly three years.

The reform is being led by National Security Adviser Robert C. O'Brien, who told the Times that 40-45 NSC staff officials had been sent back to their home-agencies, and more are likely to be moved out.

"We remain on track to meeting the right-sizing goal Ambassador O’Brien outlined in October, and in fact may exceed that target by drawing down even more positions," said NSC spokesman John Ullyot.

Under Obama, the NSC ballooned to as many as 450 people - and officials wielded 'enormous power' according to the report, directly telephoning commanders in Afghanistan and other locations in the Middle East to give them direct orders in violation of the military's strict chain of command.

Meanwhile, the so-called second-hand 'whistleblower' at the heart of President Trump's impeachment was widely reported to be a NSC staffer on detail from the CIA, Eric Ciaramella, who took umbrage with Trump asking Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky to investigate former VP Joe Biden - who Ciaramella worked with.

After O'Brien is done, less than 120 policy officials will remain after the next several months.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/02/2020 04:39 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Three years? Working at the speed of government, indeed.
Posted by: Raj || 01/02/2020 8:44 Comments || Top||

#2  Lawn moles, a gardener's nightmare.
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/02/2020 8:46 Comments || Top||

#3  Under Obama, the NSC ballooned to as many as 450 people - and officials wielded 'enormous power' according to the report, directly telephoning commanders in Afghanistan and other locations in the Middle East to give them direct orders in violation of the military's strict chain of command.

Yet another revelation of the damage done by Zero's pajama boyz and various minions.

Indict that bastard. Get the truth out. All of it.
Posted by: Lex || 01/02/2020 9:06 Comments || Top||

#4  Are his Czars still around?
Posted by: CrazyFool || 01/02/2020 9:15 Comments || Top||


India-Pakistan
Pakistani Lawmakers Demand Stricter Anti-Blasphemy Laws
[TimesofIndia] ISLAMABAD: Pakistani provincial lawmakers have unanimously passed a resolution asking the central government to make new or improve existing laws to sternly punish blasphemers and recommended setting up of a Saudi Arabia like central screening or filtration system to intercept sacrilegious material on social media.

The resolution was passed by Punjab's provincial assembly on Tuesday. The lawmakers asked for strict implementation of existing anti-blasphemy laws and asked the federal government to formulate more laws to pave the way for taking stern action against people who commit blasphemy.

According to the resolution, the existing anti-blasphemy laws in the country were not being enforced in letter and spirit, allowing some people to commit blasphemy in the garb of freedom of expression.
Oh noze !
It said blasphemous content was available on social media and also in the international print and electronic media. Some importers too were importing books containing such material, hurting the feelings of Muslims.

"Therefore, this house demands the immediate establishment of a Saudi Arabia like central filtration and screening system to prevent blasphemous content. Laws should immediately be made to prevent printing and sale of local or foreign religious books without the certification of Muthidda Ulema Board (a body of clerics) and the federal religious affairs ministry, also disallowing presentation of such material in regular and social media," the resolution stated. "The books containing blasphemous material should immediately be confiscated and their import be disallowed," it added.

Blasphemy is a hugely sensitive subject in Pakistan, with even unproven allegations often prompting mob violence. Anyone convicted, or even just accused, of insulting Islam, risks a violent and bloody death at the hands of vigilantes.

Rights groups said the blasphemy laws are routinely abused to seek vengeance and settle personal scores, primarily property-related disputes. In 2017, a mob had beaten up a student, Mashal Khan, to death at a university campus in Pakistan’s northwest after accusing him of blasphemy over social media.

Last year, the Supreme Court acquitted Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman earlier sentenced to death on blasphemy charges, after accepting her appeal against her sentence. Despite the court's order in her favour, she could not stay in Pakistan due to threats to her life from religious zealots. Rights activists and independent observers have long been speaking out against blasphemy laws and its misuse, but Pakistani authorities, realizing the gravity of the situation, cannot consider abolishing or amending it. A mere suggestion for softening the blasphemy law can threaten lives of its critics. Prominent leaders, including former Punjab's governor Salman Taseer and ex-federal minister for minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, were gunned down during broad daylight in Islamabad for merely suggesting amendment in the blasphemy law to stop its abuse and misuse.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 14:48 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1  Same thing here in the US. No blaspheming against gerbil worming, LGBTQXYZ, socialism or womyn.
Posted by: M. Murcek || 01/02/2020 15:22 Comments || Top||

#2  Pakistani virtue signaling?
Posted by: gorb || 01/02/2020 17:40 Comments || Top||


India approves third moon mission months after landing failure
[DAWN] India has approved its third lunar mission months after its last one failed to successfully land on the moon, its space agency said on Wednesday, the latest effort in its ambitions to become a low-cost space power.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission will have a lander and a rover, but not an orbiter, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan told news hounds at its headquarters in Bengaluru, according to an official telecast.

The Chandrayaan-2 mission in September successfully deployed a lunar orbiter that relays scientific data back to earth, but was unable to place a rover on the lunar surface after a "hard" landing.

That mission had aimed to land on the south pole of the moon, where no other lunar mission had gone before. The region is believed to contain water as craters in the region are largely unaffected by the high temperatures of the sun.

Posted by: Fred || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Pakistan passes another blasphemy law.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 01/02/2020 13:54 Comments || Top||

#2  ♫ Ding ding ding !

Pak asks for stricter blasphemy law.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 14:58 Comments || Top||

#3  Moon landings vs blasphemy laws...

“The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."
-- William Gibson
Posted by: SteveS || 01/02/2020 16:00 Comments || Top||


Pak: Chinese national held for beating traffic cop
[TWITTER]

Posted by: Fred || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I can imagine Imran Khan arriving in a police station to berate the constables and kow-tow to the Han overlord.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 4:48 Comments || Top||


Olde Tyme Religion
Oh little sprout of Bethlehem! Festive veg was spared from the pot on Christmas Day 'because it looked like Mary and baby Jesus'
Posted by: Skidmark || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1  I have a mental jar for Skid/not Skid. If it's zany, and exhibits our existential crises in one absolutely loony headline, you can bet Skidmark has covered it at Rantburg.

Not in the news :
After 16 hours, the thing rotted and began to resemble the Pope's grimace when he was slapping off a lady pulling at his sleeve to be heard.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 5:10 Comments || Top||

#2  When the silliness of the world is channeled as dogma and fact the only refuge is irreverence.
Posted by: Skidmark || 01/02/2020 10:58 Comments || Top||


Home Front: Culture Wars
On This Day in US History ‐ Republicans Freed the Slaves
h/t Instapundit
[Gateway Pundit] - On New Year’s Day in 1863, the Republican Party’s Emancipation Proclamation came into effect. While Republicans rejoiced, Democrat politicians and newspapers denounced President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL) for freeing slaves.

Demonstrating their depravity, New York’s Gov. Horatio Seymour, who would be the 1868 Democrat presidential nominee, denounced the Emancipation Proclamation as "a proposal for the butchery of women and children."

The Louisville Daily Democrat called it "an outrage of all constitutional law, all human justice, all Christian feeling."
Posted by: g(r)omgoru || 01/02/2020 01:26 || Comments || Link || [1 views] Top|| File under:

#1  It only freed slaves in the areas in rebellion. It didn't effect Kentucky, Maryland or Delaware. Lincoln followed a lead established by union commanders who declared slaves to be contraband in the war effort as they occupied territory in the secessionist states. It would take the 13th Amendment to end legal slavery in the US (having been preceded only by the English and the French in banning it nationally).
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/02/2020 2:30 Comments || Top||

#2 
Another ten years, and the dead Guv'nor won't sound so crazy, even though he was. How far does emancipation go before it becomes inequity ?
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 5:34 Comments || Top||

#3  ...already happened. When they emancipated women with the 19th Amendment they didn't include the responsibility of militia duty all male voters had since the inception of the republic. See - "skin in the game"
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/02/2020 6:39 Comments || Top||

#4  Republicans freeing slaves? Something that today's left will never believe or admit to.
Posted by: JohnQC || 01/02/2020 8:07 Comments || Top||

#5  They don't have to believe or admit, they just lie and say there was a big swap of labels from Democrat to Republican at some point and take credit for it and the rank and file believe it because they are dumb and can't handle the truth.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 01/02/2020 10:07 Comments || Top||

#6  ...yes the party of slavery, the Klan, and segregation has achieved the ability to project their guilt on the nation. A nice bit of historical rewrite up there along with characterizing the German National Socialist Workers Party as 'right wing'.
Posted by: Procopius2k || 01/02/2020 12:12 Comments || Top||

#7  The level of indoctrination really is an amazing achievement.
Posted by: rjschwarz || 01/02/2020 15:33 Comments || Top||

#8  along with characterizing the German National Socialist Workers Party as 'right wing'.

That was Stalin's definition, and true from his perspective. We, however, do not live at Stalin’s end of the spectrum, thank goodness. Nonetheless, I’ve seen an otherwise levelheaded historian who fancies himself a Labour Socialist become hysterical when this point is made. I tried several times, testing to see if this was a fixed position or if the reaction was caused by momentary difficulties in his life — it was a fixed position.
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/02/2020 22:17 Comments || Top||

#9  Big story on Faux tonight was 2020 candidate campaign contributions. Bernie tops the list for the dems. Evidently the predominate vocation of Bernie contributors was 'educator' or 'teacher.'
Posted by: Besoeker || 01/02/2020 22:21 Comments || Top||


Hasidic man assaulted during robbery in Brooklyn - report
[Jpost] A 21-year-old hasidic man was assaulted during a robbery in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Wednesday, according to former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind. The teenager was transferred to a hospital and the NYPD apprehended the suspects, Hikind wrote on Twitter.
The two suspects are exactly the feral youth we all expected, dear Reader.
Posted by: trailing wife || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [2 views] Top|| File under:

#1  Arm yourselves. The city has abandoned you.

De Blasio couldn't care less how many of you are beaten or crippled or worse; his mission is to destroy bail and end aggressive policing altogether - whatever the human cost.
Posted by: Lex || 01/02/2020 2:48 Comments || Top||

#2  Arming is not possible or enough, Lex. Busy people, normal people, old folks, women... otherwise peaceful, gentle people to take out the time and learn to shoot, then successfully defend against knives, bricks and bats in a crowd. It's impractical.

My solution is, deterrent after-action. Yes, communal revenge. The best private investigation money can buy, to find the whos and wheres - if possible buy info off the cops investigating. This way they become party to the actions. Then contract hits on the perps and/or their families. The 'motive' shall always remain amorphous, undefined because no one will acknowledge the reason; and the cases will be chalked up by local LE to the usual kind. Families, because it then becomes imperative for elders to teach their offspring better.

In the 'Stain and elsewhere, this is how certain communities protect their hi-value individuals from extortion, harassment etc. A few gruesome scenes, dispersed rumors and the enemy community learns real quick.

Guilt-ridden whites, selfish bureaucrats, masochist WABs (we-are-better) in society will not help in this because they have the same mentality as the good Germans who stood to watch while the holocaust scaled up from mere bullying. And after the Jews, come the Christians. It's already been demonstrated. People need to get real, not just 'real angry'.
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 4:42 Comments || Top||


Hundreds wait in long lines as Illinois begins selling recreational marijuana legally and governor pardons more than 11,000 cannabis convictions
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news]
  • Illinois became the 11th state to sell recreational marijuana legally on January 1

  • Hundreds waited in lines of up to three hours outside the nearly three dozen dispensaries with licenses

  • Customers can purchase 30 grams of cannabis flower and up to five grams of cannabis concentrate

  • Democratic Governor JB Pritzker granted more than 11,000 pardons for low-level marijuana convictions
Posted by: Skidmark || 01/02/2020 00:00 || Comments || Link || [0 views] Top|| File under:

#1 

"What about reparation for the thousands of dollars worth of weed destroyed after seizure ? All our pot burned and flushed ? The city must pay us back !"

"Wha ...?"

"OK, at least enough to buy 30 grams ! Subsidize the weed !"
Posted by: Dron66046 || 01/02/2020 5:40 Comments || Top||

#2  Pot that's grown legally have to pay taxes and fees to the state.

Pot that was seized and burned, has neither paid taxes nor fees.
Posted by: Seeking Cure For Ignorance || 01/02/2020 7:52 Comments || Top||

#3  'Street' pot will end up being cheaper as it won't have the tax burden.

And now anyone caught in possession of pot can claim that they got it legally, unless there's some rule that you have to hang on to your receipts. Of course, the forgers have a new venue there.
Posted by: Mullah Richard || 01/02/2020 8:44 Comments || Top||

#4  How long before "legally" produced and sold pot has to have "taggants," like explosives and gunpowder do?
Posted by: M. Murcek || 01/02/2020 10:36 Comments || Top||


#6  SCC link @5 sums it up nicely.
Posted by: swksvolFF || 01/02/2020 16:28 Comments || Top||



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Tue 2019-12-31
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