[FoxNews] Six men were arrested after Dutch police discovered sea containers that had been converted into a makeshift prison and sound-proofed “torture chamber” complete with a dentist’s chair, tools, including pliers and scalpels, and handcuffs, a high-ranking officer announced Tuesday. "Is it safe?"
Authorities said police conducted the raid before the torture chamber could be used and alerted potential victims, who went into hiding.
The grisly discovery was made last month by officers investigating leads generated by data from encrypted phones used by criminals. The communications network was cracked recently by French police.
Detectives in Britain and the Netherlands have already arrested hundreds of suspects based on the encrypted messages.
Tuesday’s announcement gave a chilling insight into the increasingly violent Dutch criminal underworld, which is involved in the large-scale production and trafficking of drugs.
Dutch police said last week that their investigations, code-named 26Lemont, based on millions of messages from the EncroChat phones, had led to the arrest of more than 100 suspects and seizure of more than 17,600 pounds of cocaine and 2,600 pounds of crystal meth as well as the dismantling of 19 synthetic drugs labs and seizure of dozens of firearms.
On June 22, Dutch national police force officers arrested six men on suspicion of crimes, including preparing kidnappings and serious assault.
Detectives also discovered the seven converted sea containers in a warehouse in Wouwse Plantage, a small village in the southwestern Netherlands, close to the border with Belgium, according to a statement released Tuesday.
#4
She was working as a paralegal after her jail stint. Her baby baby-daddy who she later married and then divorced is "working as a DJ." Which goes to show, what you study in school will influence your career later in life.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/08/2020 9:15 Comments ||
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#5
I always figured this woman had a screw or a few loose--basically, a child-abuser.
Writing for The National Lampoon before writing for Hollywood and making actual money. Turns out he was an ugly bigot the whole time. "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Or perhaps it was the usual National Lampoon juvenile humour.
#5
Eastwood's Gran Torino was rich in language and faux bigotry. Very humorous but not PC for today's social justice warriors; OTOH, they have no sense of humor. They panned this film.
Posted by: Chris ||
07/08/2020 11:15 Comments ||
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#7
In the higher country of Colorado, it usually doesn't spike into the 90s regularly until mid-end July. It has been hotter than normal this year and was dryer than normal this winter. Which is a normal cycle as it was colder last year with a wetter winter.
[SiberianTimes] Abnormally cold weather has been recorded in the north of Yakutia with residents of Verkhoyansk district waking up to fresh snow on 5 July.
Just days before that, locals were complaining about the hot and dry beginning of July, with air temperature heating up to +27C on 1 July, and wildfires raging.
Earlier, on 17 June this district saw a world record for the Arctic of 38C. nice pictures at the source
Posted by: lord garth ||
07/08/2020 07:49 ||
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#1
I heard some places (Sochi?) hit 50C. That's just insane.
[PJMedia] Despite the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, deaths have continued to decline and may soon reach a level where the coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague) ...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men... will no longer qualify as an epidemic under CDC guidelines.
A disease outbreak qualifies as an "epidemic" by the CDC when the number of weekly deaths caused by the disease exceeds a certain percentage of overall deaths, explains Daniel Payne of Just The News.
According to the CDC, "Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza or COVID-19 (PIC) decreased from 9.0% during week 25 to 5.9% during week 26, representing the tenth week of a declining percentage of deaths due to PIC." If the percentage continues to decline, it is likely COVID-19 will lose its classification as an epidemic in the next few weeks.
Some might scoff at the idea that deaths will continue to decline, but it’s been 22 days since COVID-19 cases started to spike and there’s been no spike in deaths.
Considering this data, it seems likely that deaths will continue to decline as it is mostly younger people getting infected, and treatments have also improved. A recent large-scale study conducted by the Henry Ford Health System also found that despite past reports and fearmongering by the media, hydroxychloroquine reduces the death rate of COVID-19 by more than half.
[WashingtonExaminer] Stanford University's disease prevention chairman slammed using statewide lockdown measures as a response to the coronavirus, saying they were implemented based on bad data and inaccurate modeling.
“There are already more than 50 studies that have presented results on how many people in different countries and locations have developed antibodies to the virus,” Dr. John Ioannidis said during a recent interview with Greek Reporter. “Of course, none of these studies are perfect, but cumulatively, they provide useful composite evidence. A very crude estimate might suggest that about 150-300 million or more people have already been infected around the world, far more than the 10 million documented cases.”
Ioannidis pointed out the mortality rate is low among young people who have contracted the virus.
“The death rate in a given country depends a lot on the age structure, who are the people infected, and how they are managed,” Ioannidis said. “For people younger than 45, the infection fatality rate is almost 0%. For 45 to 70, it is probably about 0.05%-0.3%. For those above 70, it escalates substantially.”
Since the pandemic began in February, more than 2.6 million people in the United States have contracted the virus, and 128,000 have died.
Several states have seen spikes in cases, especially in the southeastern part of the country, where lockdown measures were lifted earlier than in other states.
The mortality rate nationwide appears to be tapering, however, a trend U.S. health officials attribute to a younger age bracket in terms of infection. The national single-day death rate from the virus fell to a three-month low last month. Additionally, Massachusetts reported zero new deaths from the coronavirus on Tuesday for the first time since March.
#1
The famous Ioannidis. Man who build his academic career on attacking other peoples work. And, the very first time he actually did some work himself, was caught faking results. A fitting scientific authority figure for "covid is just a flue" community.
#5
Deaths aren't everything. We still don't know what this virus will do in the future, and yes with young people. Don't bank on immunity. Survivors may suffer permanent lung damages (and other things), and the virus may come back and hit them harder.
With all respect, the U.S. is going down a very dangerous path with its cavalier approach.
Germany has 6800 active cases now, the U.S. 1.6 million. Fall in the U.S. will be brutal.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
07/08/2020 14:17 Comments ||
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#6
Deaths aren't everything.
Deaths will be bad enough, once the treatment capacity is overwhelmed.
But, I suspect that death/debilitation of somebody they know is the only way they'll learn that CV19 is real - not another Democratic stratagem like AGW.
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
ICYMI: #SaudiArabia reported 3,392 new cases of the novel #coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Kingdom to 217,108, the Ministry of Health says.https://t.co/LCgAC5x8YT
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
Failure to correctly follow coronavirus guidelines and measures led to a spike in #coronavirus cases in #Oman, the country’s health ministry says, according to the Oman Observer, a newspaper based in the sultanate.#COVID19https://t.co/uA4VzyTrtW
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
#Beijing reports zero new #coronavirus cases for the first time since the emergence of a cluster in the Chinese capital in June that prompted fears of a domestic second wave.https://t.co/MQXkKiMAfo
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
In the interview broadcast on state-run TV Brasil, Bolsonaro said he began feeling ill on Sunday and has been taking hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug with unproven effectiveness against COVID-19.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2020 00:00 ||
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Panic-buyers strip supermarket shelves in Melbourne as the Australian city of five million people prepares for six-week lockdown
Nuts. Home delivery systems were set up during the first round, manufacturing will once again be deemed critical so it can continue to replenish depleted stocks... and why are those people not maintaining pantry inventory against exactly this kind of situation?
Breaking: Ukraine's SBU say they just arrested a deep-cover GRU sleeper agent in Ukraine; say he was supervising DNR's own mini-GRU, including #MH17 suspect Dubinsky. Dozens of phone intercepts showing involvement of FSB chief Bortnikov. https://t.co/T7eq9ZK41H
[Space.com] One satellite, identified as Gaofen by SpaceNews, was billed in Chinese media as a remote sensing satellite for civilian use (...uh-huh...honest...civilian...we swear..!). The satellite's resolution is less than a meter (three feet) and it will operate in an orbit to place the sun at a consistent angle on the surface, called a sun-synchronous orbit. This orbit makes it easier to compare pictures between satellite passes.
[Indian Express] Beijing made this claim while objecting to a request to develop the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary in eastern Bhutan’s Trashigang district at an online meeting of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Set up in 1992, GEF is a US-based global body to finance projects in the environment sector.
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2020 00:00 ||
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The Chinese national flag has been raised outside the MetroPark Hotel Causeway Bay requisitioned by Beijing’s national security office in HK according to @StandNewsHK live around 7am. pic.twitter.com/UFJ8sh6LkS
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2020 00:00 ||
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#1
Communist China's budget getting too strained to give their puppet free stuff? (Remember when the Berlin Wall fell and Russia cut off the generous subsidies they were giving Cuba?...same thing.)
Or has the North Korean leadership annoyed them and needs to be taught to obey their Chinese masters? Both?
#2
With China pushing troops and ships to re-establish the Heavenly Kingdom, be it noted that at one time what we call North Korea was also under direct rule of China. The southern part was classified as vassal, sending the appropriate gifts and tokens of recognition. Between dynasties, the arrangement and borders tended to vary.
At least 21 people killed when a bus carrying students preparing to sit their annual college entrance exam plunges into a lake in southwest #China.https://t.co/pymFeodZkb
— Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) July 7, 2020
Posted by: Fred ||
07/08/2020 00:00 ||
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The independent team NASA and Boeing formed to look into Starliner's failed flight to the ISS is done with its investigation. And based on NASA's announcement, they have a pretty lengthy list of changes to make before the spacecraft can start ferrying astronauts to space. The joint review team ended their investigation with 80 recommendations for NASA and Boeing to address, with the most notable suggestion being the performance of end-to-end tests using the maximum amount of flight hardware before each flight.
One of the main reasons why the Starliner's first flight failed was because Boeing divided its tests in small chunks instead of conducting a longer one that simulates the whole process from launch to docking. As a result, the aerospace company didn't discover that the spacecraft's onboard computer time was miscalibrated by 11 hours, preventing Starliner's thrusters from firing and sending it to the correct orbit. In addition, Boeing didn't test the Starliner's software against its service module. The company used an emulator, which ended up being flawed, and didn't discover a critical software defect that could've led to "loss of vehicle."
According to NASA Spaceflight, NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich also determined that the agency wasn't able to provide Boeing with sufficient oversight. That allowed multiple issues, particularly software problems, to remain unnoticed. While NASA didn't list all 80 recommendations, it enumerated some of the more important ones, such as addressing any identified simulation or emulation gaps, increasing the involvement of subject matter experts in safety critical areas and making organizational changes to the safety reporting structure.
NASA and Boeing are hoping to redo Starliner's uncrewed test flight to the ISS later this year. While the repeat flight doesn't have an exact date yet, The Washington Post previously reported that they're aiming for an October or a November launch.
Long story short, Boeing tried to do the testing on the cheap and rush it through and really ended up screwing the pooch.
Is the person running this a diversity hire or something?
“It’s nothing personal — that’s just how those people are. Everyone knows this.”
[ESPN] Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson said he has no hatred toward the Jewish community and issued two separate statements of apology with "a promise to do better" after he posted on social media Monday an anti-Semitic message that he attributed to Adolf Hitler and admiration for Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.
The Eagles on Tuesday responded by calling Jackson's posts "offensive, harmful and absolutely appalling" and said the team would take "appropriate action." Team owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman are Jewish.
Of course he didn’t mean them. He meant all the other Joooos, but definitely not them — they’re princes among men.
Jackson spoke with Lurie late Tuesday afternoon, a source told ESPN's Tim McManus, with Lurie expressing deep disappointment in his player. Jackson expressed a desire to educate himself and work directly with the Jewish community, and a short time later, his camp contacted the rabbi at Chabad Young Philly to discuss ways for Jackson to donate and work with the organization.
The controversy spun out of Jackson's Instagram story, on which he featured a quote he attributed to Hitler that said white Jews "will blackmail America. [They] will extort America, their plan for world domination won't work if the Negroes know who they were."
He also shared two posts on Instagram -- on Saturday and on Monday -- expressing admiration for Farrakhan, whom the Anti-Defamation League and Southern Poverty Law Center have identified as anti-Semitic. Those posts have since been deleted.
"We have spoken with DeSean Jackson about his social media posts," the Eagles said in their statement. "Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling. They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization.
"We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing, but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality, and respect. We are continuing to evaluate the circumstances and will take appropriate action. We take these matters very seriously and are committed to continuing to have productive and meaningful conversations with DeSean, as well as all of our players and staff, in order to educate, learn, and grow."
Jackson also spoke with Roseman, a source told McManus. No discussion of a suspension or termination has been raised with Jackson to this point, a source added. [Of course.]
[Jpost] Holocaust survivor Edward Mosberg has extended an invitation to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson to visit Auschwitz, following the latter's controversial Instagram post quoting Adolf Hitler. The invitation was posted on Twitter by From the Depths, an organization that seeks to protect the memory of the Holocaust, of which Mosberg is honorary chairman.
#11
An African man's misbehavior
Can safely be blamed on his Savior,
Your babies, Old Massa
(but never Mombasa),
Or racist (oy, vey!) Scandinavia.
Posted by: Andy Ebberegum8514 ||
07/08/2020 23:08 Comments ||
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#12
Remember poor Peter the slave?
"You're back!" "Never left." Somber wave.
"Yo Pete!" "Massa Barry?"
"Each [person of color] must carry
Those very same scars to their grave. "
"Ouch. "
"Say what, Pete?"
"Uh... Biden 2020, boss!"
"Now ya talkin'. Yell it with me: Freedom! Freedom!"
[The Aviationist] Narrated by (Brigadier General and) actor James Stewart, this 1960s film documents the many records of the Mach 2+ supersonic bomber.
Powered by four General Electric J79 engines in underwing pods and designed around a large delta wing, the Convair B-58 Hustler was the first operational bomber capable of flying at Mach 2. The aircraft was developed in the 1950s for the Strategic Air Command (SAC) of the U.S. Air Force, made its first flight on Nov. 11, 1956, and entered the active service in March 1960. It operated throughout the 1960s flying with the 43rd Bombardment Wing, at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas; and the 305th Bombardment Wing at Bunker Hill AFB, Indiana (later renamed Grissom AFB, after after Lt. Col. Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, USAF, a native of Mitchell, Indiana, one of the original seven Mercury astronauts who lost his life in the fire of his Apollo 1 capsule during a pre-launch rehearsal at Cape Kennedy, Florida, in January 1967).
Convair built 116 B-58s: 30 test and pre-production aircraft and 86 for operational service.
The problem with the B-58 was that instruments were aided with a voice alarm system. It was a bunch of 8-Track like tape cartridges with no priority system so it might be nattering about wind speed on some aileron while you just lost an engine. By the time that message came up you likely had crashed.
Because it was instrumented this way... if any in the boneyards are in flyable shape it shouldn't be too hard to make them drones.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/08/2020 00:00 ||
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#1
That instrument warning system sound very Douglas Adams' HHGTTG
#3
Because it was instrumented this way... if any in the boneyards are in flyable shape it shouldn't be too hard to make them drones.
...IIRC there's only seven B-58s left intact, and they're in museums. There is one - derelict and likely beyond recovery - that's used as a photo target at Edwards AFB, CA.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
07/08/2020 4:45 Comments ||
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#4
In the 1960's I had a red plastic toy shaped like the B-58.
I never knew what the toy was a copy of until now.
I spent many hours as a child flying the toy as a fighter through the home with full jet engine and doppler sound effects.
I did not know it was a nuclear bomber.
The B-58 at Edwards. Note the grid for determining resolution of the imaging system.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
07/08/2020 8:28 Comments ||
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#7
Lemay said that the pod slung underneath the Hustler carried all the conventional weapons explosive force of WW2 and anything before that going back to the Civil War and 18th century battles..one B-58 would do all that.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[FoxNews] Six men were arrested after Dutch police discovered sea containers that had been converted into a makeshift prison and sound-proofed “torture chamber” complete with a dentist’s chair, tools, including pliers and scalpels, and handcuffs, a high-ranking officer announced Tuesday.
...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
The satellite's resolution is less than a meter (three feet) and it will operate in an orbit to place the sun at a consistent angle on the surface, called a sun-synchronous orbit. This orbit makes it easier to compare pictures between satellite passes.
[PUBLISH.TWITTER] 
