Obama gives himself control of all communication systems in America

US President Barack Obama (AFP Photo/Pool/Luke Sharrett)

"President Obama released his latest Executive Order on Friday, July 6, a 2,205-word statement offered as the 'Assignment of National Security and Emergency Preparedness Communications Functions.' And although the president chose not to commemorate the signing with much fanfare, the powers he provides to himself and the federal government under the latest order are among the most far-reaching yet of any of his executive decisions."

“The Federal Government must have the ability to communicate at all times and under all circumstances to carry out its most critical and time sensitive missions,” the president begins the order. “Survivable, resilient, enduring and effective communications, both domestic and international, are essential to enable the executive branch to communicate within itself and with: the legislative and judicial branches; State, local, territorial and tribal governments; private sector entities; and the public, allies and other nations.”

"On the government’s official website for the National Communications Systems, the government explains that that 'infrastructure includes wireline, wireless, satellite, cable, and broadcasting, and provides the transport networks that support the Internet and other key information systems,' suggesting that the president has indeed effectively just allowed himself to control the country’s Internet access."

"In explaining the order, the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) writes that the president has authorized the DHS 'the authority to seize private facilities when necessary, effectively shutting down or limiting civilian communications.'"

"Later, the president announces that the Department of Homeland Security will be tasked with drafting a plan during the next 60 days to explain how the DHS will command the government’s Emergency Telecommunications Service, as well as other telecom conduits. In order to be able to spread the White House’s message across the country, President Obama also asks for the purchasing of equipment and services that will enable such."

[SOURCE: RT]

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Navy Drone Lands on Aircraft Carrier

"ABOARD THE USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH—An unmanned plane piloted by a string of computer algorithms landed on an aircraft carrier for the first time Wednesday as the tailhook of the drone known as 'Salty Dog 502' caught the third wire of the ship’s deck and abruptly came to a halt. 

"Top Navy officials repeatedly hailed as historic the successful landing—which after countless tests and simulations on land was not much in doubt. 

"Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said the X-47B demonstrator, a $1.4 billion military project, would usher in a new era for aircraft carriers, making them more versatile, and eventually more deadly. 

"'It is not often you get a chance to see the future, but that is what we got to see today,' he said after the landing."

[SOURCE: WSJ ]

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Snowden Asylum Bid Leaves a Quandary on Getting There

"The hard part for Snowden will be finding a route to freedom from Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, where he arrived on June 23. The U.S. has pressured allies to deny airspace rights for any plane carrying the fugitive, who faces espionage charges for revealing classified American telephone and Internet surveillance initiatives.  

"'It’s one thing to grant him asylum,' said Diego Moya-Ocampos, a Latin America analyst at IHS Global Insight in London. 'It’s a very different thing to make that effective.'  

"Before disclosing the top-secret National Security Agency programs, Snowden fled to Hong Kong, which spurned a U.S. extradition request and let him travel to Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s administration has urged Snowden to leave as soon as possible, and leaders of Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua have indicated they’d be willing to take him in.  

"President Barack Obama has ruled out trying to intercept Snowden’s plane and force it down. 'I’m not going to be scrambling jets' to go after a 'hacker,' Obama said at a June 27 news conference in Dakar, Senegal."

[SOURCE: Bloomberg]

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Thank you! Photos from Carlsbad Con

MC Puffsip performs "Standin' On Top Of Da World"

Thanks to everyone that was in attendance at Carlsbad Con this past Saturday! We had a great time and we're already talking about doing it again... bigger. It's all on tape and being edited and we'll announce more on what's going to happen with that later.

Dean (Chris) & Ashley (Sean)

Dean ready to go & Pete testing out Puffsip's legs pre-show.

Ashley Sven-Flenigan: Swim Major

Joey Herbz' opening monologue.

"You can't talk about Sasquatch all night dude."

Dean shares tales of space and denim breast pockets.

Ashley intrudes on segment 1.

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Carlsbad Con Promo #2 [VIDEO]

Phil Dungerson travels through a wormhole in this new promo for CarlsbadCon.

Saturday July 6, 2013

95 Empire St.

Providence, RI

8:00 PM | $5 entry
More info...

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Monsanto & Dow Conspiring to Poison Food Supply with Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid

As the biotech industry prepares to unleash its latest herbicide-resistant crops, the journal Weed Science reports that a noxious weed has already developed resistance to 2,4-D in Nebraska. Waterhemp has become a major weed problem in U.S. Midwest agriculture, already having established resistance to five other herbicide groups before 2,4-D. 

2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) is a broadleaf herbicide that has been used since the 1940’s, with the notorious history of being an ingredient in Agent Orange during Vietnam. It’s no surprise that the chemical was discovered as part of an effort during World War II to develop chemical weapons. 

Biotech firms are working feverishly to get their genetically modified 2,4-D-resistant corn, soybeans, and cotton authorized for commercial sale in the U.S, with some varieties already being considered for “nonregulated status” by the USDA. Use of these GM crops would of course boost the use of 2,4-D, since the herbicide would be used in mass quantities on the resistant crops. This means big profits for corporations such as Dow and Monsanto that control the herbicide and seed economy. Dow is slated to have the first 2,4-D-resistant crop ready for market, and is also a big maker of 2,4-D products. 

The first experiment with herbicide-resistant crops was carried out by Monsanto with “RoundUp Ready” crops resistant to their glyphosate-based herbicide RoundUp. Roundup Ready crops were introduced in 1996, and by 2012 61.2 million areas of U.S. cropland had been infested with glyphosate-resistant weeds. By the time RoundUp becomes ineffective at controlling weeds in agriculture, Monsanto will have made untold billions. 

With glyphosate superweeds taking over fields, the plan is to move on to other herbicides that are more toxic. When Dow’s 2,4-D resistant crops are approved for use, we can look forward to millions of pounds of 2,4-D being applied across the land in addition to glyphosate. And as weeds develop resistance to 2,4-D we can rest assured that the biotech companies are working on the next genetically-modified answer.

[SOURCE: Real Farmacy]

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Ex-NSA agent: "Secret deals between U.S. and European governments to hand over private data to NSA have been in place for decades."

"Germany 'among countries offering intelligence', according to new claims by former US defense analyst. 

"At least six European Union countries in addition to Britain have been colluding with the US over the mass harvesting of personal communications data, according to a former contractor to America's National Security Agency, who said the public should not be 'kept in the dark.' 

"Wayne Madsen, a former US navy lieutenant who first worked for the NSA in 1985 and over the next 12 years held several sensitive positions within the agency, names Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Spain, and Italy as having secret deals with the US.

"Madsen said the countries had "formal second and third party status" under signal intelligence (sigint) agreements that compels them to hand over data, including mobile phone and internet information to the NSA if requested.

"Under international intelligence agreements, confirmed by declassified documents, nations are categorised by the US according to their trust level. The US is first party while the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand enjoy second party relationships. Germany and France have third party relationships."

[SOURCE: Sign of the Times]

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Spaceships of the Future

Hungary-based space illustrator Adrian Mann is a graphical engineer for Project Icarus, an effort to research the possibilities for interstellar travel. When scientists conceive of spaceships for travel to another star, most proposals require advanced and exotic propulsion mechanisms, including nuclear power and antimatter power. The following illustrations by Mann show some of the proposed concepts for vehicles to take us beyond the solar system.

[SOURCE: Above Top Secret]

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Here we go: Edward Snowden threatens new U.S. leaks, applies for Russian asylum

Former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden broke his silence on Monday for the first time since fleeing to Moscow to say he remains free to make new disclosures about U.S. spying activity.

In a letter to Ecuador seen by Reuters, Snowden said the United States was illegally persecuting him for revealing its electronic surveillance program, PRISM, but made it clear he did not intend to be muzzled.

"I remain free and able to publish information that serves the public interest," he said in an undated letter in Spanish sent to Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa.

[SOURCE: Sign of the Times]

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