October 2, 2011 archive

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The Stars Hollow Gazette

Mexican Gang Cartels recruiting school age kids in the US; 6/7 cartels have headquarters in Texas

From Texas-Mexico border now combat zone say two retired U.S. generals in new report

Tired of hearing from Obama White House that the Texas-Mexico border is more secure than ever, the Texas Department of Agriculture, along with the Department of Public Safety,  hired two retired U.S. generals to evaluate the true status.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today released “Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment,” an independent study, former generals Barry McCaffrey and Major-General Robert Scales, at the Protect Your Texas Border Summit in Austin.

Among their findings is that “criminality spawned in Mexico is spilling over into the United States.”

From ‘Expendable, unaccountable’ Texas children now recruited by Mexican drug cartels

“Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment,” an independent study, former generals Barry McCaffrey and Major-General Robert Scales, was released at the Protect Your Texas Border Summit at the state capital.

The much anticipated study reveals that  drug cartels are now recruiting our Texas children with significant investments for their criminal gang activities.

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In the last 18 months, six of seven cartels have established headquarters in Texas cities, according to testimony form the Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steven McGraw.

At least 22 murders, 24 assaults, 15 shootings and five kidnappings have been traced to cartel activities on the Texas side of the border during since January 2010.

Combined with a persistent recession/depression, a decaying social safety net, lax border security and continuing lame-brain drug laws, don’t be surprised if there’s a rapid increase in gang-related crime in your neighborhood.

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UPDATE          UPDATE          UPDATE          UPDATE          UPDATE          UPDATE          

The primary source document, “Texas Border Security: A Strategic Military Assessment”, is linked to here.

Cartnoon

The Green Loontern Episode 16, Season 1, Part 2

MLB Playoff coverage starts at 2:30 pm on The Stars Hollow Gazette.

On This Day In History October 2

Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette

Find the past “On This Day in History” here.

October 2 is the 275th day of the year (276th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 90 days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day in 1959, “The Twilight Zone” premiered on CBS television.

The Twilight Zone is an American anthology television series created by Rod Serling, which ran for five seasons on CBS from 1959 to 1964. The series consisted of unrelated episodes depicting paranormal, futuristic, dystopian, or simply disturbing events; each show typically featured a surprising plot twist and was usually brought to closure with some sort of message. The series was also notable for featuring both established stars (e.g. Cliff Robertson, Ann Blyth, Jack Klugman) and younger actors who would later became famous (e.g. Robert Redford, William Shatner, Mariette Hartley, Shelley Fabares). Rod Serling served as executive producer and head writer; he wrote or co-wrote 92 of the show’s 156 episodes. He was also the show’s host, delivering on- or off-screen monologues at the beginning and end of each episode. During the first season, except for the season’s final episode, Serling’s narrations were off-camera voiceovers; he only appeared on-camera at the end of each show to promote the next episode (footage that was removed from syndicated versions but restored for DVD release, although some of these promotions exist today only in audio format).

The “twilight zone” itself is not presented as being a tangible plane, but rather a metaphor for the strange circumstances befalling the protagonists. Serling’s opening and closing narrations usually summarized the episode’s events in tones ranging from cryptic to pithy to eloquent to unsympathetic, encapsulating how and why the main character(s) had “entered the Twilight Zone”.

Six In The Morning

On Sunday

Hundreds held in anti-Wall Street protest  

Witnesses describe chaotic scenes on New York’s Brooklyn Bridge as police officers surround and handcuff demonstrators.

Last Modified: 02 Oct 2011

New York City police said about 700 protesters have been arrested after they swarmed the Brooklyn Bridge and shut down a lane of traffic for several hours.

Police said some demonstrators spilled onto the roadway Saturday night after being told to stay on the pedestrian pathway.

“Over 700 summonses and desk appearance tickets have been issued in connection with a demonstration on the Brooklyn Bridge late this afternoon after multiple warnings by police were given to protesters to stay on the pedestrian walkway, and that if they took roadway they would be arrested,” said a police spokesman.

“Some complied and took the walkway without being arrested. Others proceeded on the Brooklyn-bound vehicular roadway and were.”




Sunday’s Headlines:

Pakistan protests at assassin’s death sentence

Libya conflict: Sirte medical need dire, says Red Cross

A Search for the Real Ratko Mladic

Trekking in Kashmir: Where nuclear powers once clashed

Love of animals led to language and man’s domination of Earth

Late Night Karaoke

Occupy Wall St. Livestream: Day 16

Cross posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette

Watch live streaming video from globalrevolution at livestream.com

OccupyWallStreet

The resistance continues at Liberty Square, with free pizza 😉

UPDATE: Cops Accused Of Trapping Wall Street Protesters On Brooklyn Bridge For Mass Arrests

NickS reports:

   Please make clear that the police setup the demonstrators. From talking to people before the match started, it was not my sense that a large number of people intended to be arrested. (thought we were all prepared with the NLG phone number, etc). When we got to the bridge, the police made no effort to keep people off the roadway even though they helped control traffic as we crossed the street.

Van Jones Praises Occupy Wall Street, Says Progressives Launching ‘October Offensive’ To Rival Tea Party

Former White House adviser Van Jones says that progressives are going to launch an “October offensive” to rival the Tea Party, in the spirit of the Arab Spring protests across the Middle East.

“Everybody should hold onto their seats. October is going to be the turning point when it comes to the progressive fight back. You can see it coming,” Jones said this week on MSNBC’s “The Last Word” with Lawrence O’Donnell.

Occupy Wall Street 10.01.11

Greeks Turn To Barter

The NYT has a good article for once:

VOLOS, Greece – The first time he bought eggs, milk and jam at an outdoor market using not euros but an informal barter currency, Theodoros Mavridis, an unemployed electrician, was thrilled.

“I felt liberated, I felt free for the first time,” Mr. Mavridis said in a recent interview at a cafe in this port city in central Greece. “I instinctively reached into my pocket, but there was no need to.”

Mr. Mavridis is a co-founder of a growing network here in Volos that uses a so-called Local Alternative Unit, or TEM in Greek, to exchange goods and services – language classes, baby-sitting, computer support, home-cooked meals – and to receive discounts at some local businesses.

Part alternative currency, part barter system, part open-air market, the Volos network has grown exponentially in the past year, from 50 to 400 members. It is one of several such groups cropping up around the country, as Greeks squeezed by large wage cuts, tax increases and growing fears about whether they will continue to use the euro have looked for creative ways to cope with a radically changing economic landscape.

read the rest:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10…

Breaking: “We Need $12 Trillion Or All These Kids Die”

Cross posted from Thursday’s The Stars Hollow Gazette

The Onion hit a nerve with the Capital Police in Washington, DC today as it broke its latest political satirical story via Twitter:

BREAKING: Witnesses reporting screams and gunfire heard inside Capitol building.

BREAKING: Capitol building being evacuated. 12 children held hostage by group of armed congressmen. #CongressHostage

Arlington gun shop confirms Rep. @EricCantor bought 6 semi-automatic handguns, 3 rifles & 600 clips of ammo last month #CongressHostage

Extra demands include transport to Dulles airport with fueled-up private jet waiting on runway. McCain expected to fly it. #CongressHostage

Obama on bullhorn: “John, I know you can hear me in there. Please, you don’t need to do this.” #CongressHostage

Typical of most “very serious” bureaucracies the US Capitol Police released a statement to the press that gave the tweets and the story credibility as reported by the “very serious” Politico:

It has come to our attention that recent twitter feeds are reporting false information concerning current conditions at the U.S. Capitol. Conditions at the U.S. Capitol are currently normal. There is no credibility to these stories or the twitter feeds. The U.S. Capitol Police are currently investigating the reporting.

Of course Talking Points Memo, in need of some “very serious” news for today, ran with the story on their front page and, of course no one would talk to their reporter:

When contacted by TPM, Sgt. Schneider declined to comment on what the Capitol Police might be doing to investigate the matter, saying that the police do not discuss the preliminary stages of a law enforcement investigation.

The Onion has not immediately responded to TPM’s request for comment.

Anyway, according to the latest Tweets from The Onion, the 4 PM deadline has passed and, as is typical of this Congress:

UPDATE: Hostage Negotiation Talks Stall In Congress #CongressHostage

This hostage situation could go on for months or years. We’ll keep you updated on what the “very serious” people in our Nation’s Capitol are doing to end this stand off.

h/t Talking Points Memo DC for the screen shot of The Onion‘s Front Page

DKos frontpage dead-duck silent on Awlaki

America’s largest “left-leaning” political website has goose eggs, “00,” nothing on the murder of Anwar al Awlaki via Nobel Peace Prize drone strike.

I hear they are going to have some thotful Front Page essays on Sunday.

Yeah.  I realize they’re operating under the conditions of complete moral, economic, and legal collapse of the empire,

but

whereas booman is the new David Brooks, they are the new NYT.

At least I didn’t call them “assholes.”

Reporting Live From Occupy Wall Street In Liberty Park

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

Overcast but upbeat.

Everyone is in good spirits and safe….for now.  More police vans have arrived around Liberty Park with fresh-faced NYPD sporting zip-ties and that “half-confident, half scared” look on their face.

I’m serving as a medic here but was given a spot at the Media Center/Phone Charging station as a courtesy (kinda crazy right now) after they found out I was Pirate Party.  Their network needs some “protection” from what I understand.