Toxic Waste Sites Flooded in Houston Area
September 3rd, 2017Via: physorg:
Long a center of the nation’s petrochemical industry, the Houston metro area has more than a dozen Superfund sites, designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as being among America’s most intensely contaminated places. Many are now flooded, with the risk that waters were stirring dangerous sediment.
NORTH KOREA TESTS NUCLEAR WEAPON
September 3rd, 2017Via: Reuters:
North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, which it said was a successful detonation of an advanced hydrogen bomb, in a dramatic escalation of the isolated state’s stand-off with the United States and its allies.
The announcement from Pyongyang came a few hours after international seismic agencies detected a manmade earthquake near the North’s test site, which Japanese and South Korean officials said was around 10 times more powerful than the tremor picked up after its last test a year ago.
There was no independent confirmation that the detonation was a hydrogen bomb rather than an atomic device.
Utah: Nurse Arrested for Refusing to Take Blood from Unconscious Patient for Police
September 2nd, 2017Via: BBC:
A US police officer who forcibly arrested a nurse for refusing to take a blood sample from an unconscious patient has been placed on administrative leave.
An investigation is under way after footage of the incident at a hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, emerged.
It shows nurse Alex Wubbels screaming for help as she is manhandled outside and handcuffed.
The hospital said she had correctly followed its policy.
Blood can only be handed over without a patient’s consent if they are under arrest or the police have a warrant – neither of which was the case in this incident, the University of Utah Hospital said.
Salt Lake City Police Department said both the officer involved and another police department employee had been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.
Won’t You Be My Neighbour?
August 31st, 2017Hello, Neighbour!
Are you interested in a relatively cheap getaway shack for when the living hell of Auckland gets to be too much to handle? Maybe a bugout location… Our friends are selling their property. The entire thing can flood during winter storms, but you can park in our driveway during floods if you want. Check it out. Spread the word.
MOTIVA: FLOODING SHUTS LARGEST U.S. REFINERY
August 31st, 2017Via: CNBC:
The largest U.S. refinery was shutting down completely on Wednesday morning as heavy rains from Tropical Storm Harvey flooded the 603,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Port Arthur, Texas, plant, owner Motiva Enterprises said in a statement.
“At 5 a.m. (CDT (1000 GMT) on Wednesday, Motiva began a controlled shutdown of the Port Arthur refinery in response to increasing local flood conditions,” the company said.
‘The Story of Replika, the AI App that Becomes You’
August 30th, 2017Oh sure, share your most personal information with this Magic 8 Ball.
In other news: On Internet Privacy, Be Very Afraid.
Via: Quartz:
Research Credit: GB
Pentagon Says Up to 30,000 National Guard Troops Prepared to Assist in Response to Harvey
August 29th, 2017Via: Los Angeles Times:
Pentagon officials said Tuesday that National Guard assets are at full readiness to assist in the unfolding disaster in Texas wrought by Tropical Storm Harvey.
Maj. Gen. James C. Witham, director of domestic operations for the National Guard, told Pentagon reporters that up to 30,000 guardsmen as well as a U.S. naval amphibious assault ship could be called upon to help out in rescue efforts on the ground.
There are 30 National Guard helicopters flying in Texas in support of relief efforts surrounding the hurricane and subsequent tropical storm, with 24 more requested, he said.
Witham said that could increase to 100 helicopters in the days ahead as the Guard prepares for a sustained, phased response — a departure from what the Guard has done in the past.
“This will be a long-term effort,” Witham said. “When the Guard responds to hurricane-type events, normally we talk about that first 72 to 96 hours for the lifesaving and life-sustainment that takes place. Then, we’re into the recovery effort.
“Due to the nature of this storm as it spun across southwest Texas for days and dumped historic levels of rainfall, our response has been very different than what we’ve looked at before,” he said. “And the planning associated had to be different because of the nature of it.”
Afghanistan: America’s Trillion Dollar War
August 29th, 2017Via: ZeroHedge:
16 years since the Bush administration launched its military intervention in Afghanistan, President Trump has announced his intention to increase the U.S. military presence in the country. As Statista’s Niall McCarthy notes, there are approximately 8,400 U.S. troops on the ground in Afghanistan and reinforcements could start arriving within days. Trump’s new strategy is set to extend the longest war in U.S. history and add even further to its already staggering cost.
Website “The Balance” has been keeping track of Afghanistan’s economic impact and the conflict has now cost the U.S. at least $1.07 trillion since 2001.
Trump Expected to Lift Ban on Military Gear to Local Police Forces
August 27th, 2017Via: USA Today:
The Trump administration is preparing to lift a controversial ban on the transfer of some surplus military equipment to police departments whose battlefield-style response to rioting in a St. Louis suburb three years ago prompted a halt to the program.
The new plan, outlined in documents obtained by USA TODAY, would roll back an Obama administration executive order that blocked armored vehicles, large-caliber weapons, ammunition and other heavy equipment from being re-purposed from foreign battlefields to America’s streets.
On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions is scheduled to address the annual meeting of the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s largest police union, and he may outline the program changes there.
Administration officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The administration’s action would restore “the full scope of a longstanding program for recycling surplus, lifesaving gear from the Department of Defense, along with restoring the full scope of grants used to purchase this type of equipment from other sources,” according to a administration summary of the new program recently circulated to some law enforcement groups.
“Assets that would otherwise be scrapped can be re-purposed to help state, local and tribal law enforcement better protect public safety and reduce crime.”
Weekend Entertainment: Video Explorations Around Area 51
August 27th, 2017Visits to the various gates of Area 51 comprise an entire genre of videos on YouTube. Click bait titles and corny theremin soundtracks are par for the course here. If you are interested in the topic at all, you have probably seen many of these. I’ve watched dozens of videos where someone drives up to one of the gates and takes video of the signs and cameras, etc. and then leaves. Sometimes, camo dudes are seen in the distance.
There are, however, a handful of videos there that are unique:
Father and Son Motorcycle Riders Held at Gunpoint by Camo Dudes at Back Gate
It’s pretty rare to see the camo dudes out of their pickups and rarer still to see them with guns drawn. This is the only video I’ve seen where someone has managed to have video rolling—on the spot—during a shakedown by the camo dudes.
This is a different incident where some imbecile drove over the line right at the waiting camo dudes. That video was filmed by another tourist who hadn’t crossed the line.
Having nearly bought the farm on the El Toro Marine base myself a couple of decades ago, I can tell you that the threat condition on the outskirts of Area 51 is relatively tame compared to U.S. Marines tasked with protecting nuclear weapons.
My guess is that security at Area 51 is setup in tiers, and that there are other checkpoints, more similar to what I encountered at El Tors MCAS, as one gets closer to the actual facility. Those mall security/private contractors at the outskirts probably aren’t allowed anywhere near the Holy of Holies/Underground Stealth Aircraft Research Labs/Lambda Cores/Aliens/Whatever Is Out There…
Which leads me to speculate about the white bus…
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Christian Chases the White Bus
My guess about the white bus:
Since the actual base employees come and go via private 737 flights out of McCarran International Airport (see below), the white bus might be how the camo dudes get to and from work. The core facility is some dozens of miles (depending on the gate) further in from where anyone on the outside can reach, so daily bus rides all the way in would be pretty long and cumbersome. The camo dudes probably have a place near the main gate to suit up, punch time clocks, eat donuts, etc.—something like the buildings just inside the back gate.
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The “Janet” flights have been common knowledge for decades. But Christian is the first guy I’ve ever heard of to find camo-dude-like-behavior outside McCarran.
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Christian Notices Camera on Weather Station Isn’t Watching Weather Events
I love it.
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Mines Around Area 51
There are countless deserted mines around Area 51. I’m not sure why I became so hooked on watching explorations of some of these, but I thought I’d include a couple here in case you want to check them out. I found it interesting that cold air would be billowing out of some of those mines while outside temperatures are sweltering hot. Maybe these could be great for teotwawki/shtf purposes…assuming the whole thing doesn’t pose a deadly collapse risk, which seems to be the case here. Your mileage may vary. Batteries not included.
The Explore with Us dude and his daughter go pretty deep into some of these mines.
Area 51 Rider encountered a recently deserted camp and climbing gear near some mines.
Anyway, you get the idea. You’ll find endless other videos branched off of those if you want to see more.
