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xocetaceans
xocetaceans's Journal
xocetaceans's Journal
September 24, 2012
Mitt Romney Elaborates On His Aircraft Remark....
Romney: "There are 47 percent of the people who will endeavor to keep the aircraft's windows closed no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who will not attempt to open any of the aircraft's windows, who are dependent upon the plane's structural integrity, who believe that opening the aircraft's windows is not a good idea, who believe that rapid decompression of the cabin would not be a positive experience, who believe that they are entitled to ample leg room, to reasonably good food, to a safe landing, to you name it. That...that's entitlement. And they expect that the pilot should just give it to them. And they will struggle to keep those windows closed no matter what. And I mean, the pilot starts off with 48, 49, 48—he starts off with a huge number. These are people who have not paid for seats in first class. Forty-seven percent of Americans do not have seats in first class. So my message of opening the aircraft's windows doesn't connect. And the pilot will be on the intercom talking about cabin safety and oxygen masks and all that. I mean that's what they do before every take-off. And so my job is not to worry about those people—I'll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility, purchase seats in first class and open the windows to let in that oxygen. What I have to do is convince the 5 to 10 percent in the economy-class aisle seats that are independents that are thoughtful, that look at opening the windows one way or the other depending upon in some cases emotion, whether they like the pilot or not, what it looks like when the cabin is on fire."
The original remarks may be found through these links:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romney-beverly-hills-fundraiser-20120922,0,2317962.story
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/full-transcript-mitt-romney-secret-video
The original remarks may be found through these links:
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-romney-beverly-hills-fundraiser-20120922,0,2317962.story
http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/full-transcript-mitt-romney-secret-video
September 17, 2012
Naturally, there is a good reason why D'Souza has gotten little of the coverage which apparently he so desperately desires - what follows is a short review of his film:
2016: Dinesh D'Souza's Exercise in Ego and Delusion
Recently, there has been some discussion of Dinesh D'Souza's not getting proper respect for his recent "documentary":
EXCLUSIVE: ’2016 Obama’s America’ Filmmaker Reacts To President’s Slam; Looking For Network To Air Before Election; Says Mainstream Media Refusing Coverage
By DOMINIC PATTEN | Tuesday September 11, 2012
...
DEADLINE: What do you think of the criticism the film has received?
D’SOUZA: The criticism of the film actually bothers me less than the neglect of the film. If I were Michael Moore and I were to make a film that was the No. 2 political documentary of all time, I would be on every network. I would be on Meet The Press, and I would be profiled in The New York Times, and I would be all over MSNBC. Instead large sectors of the press are refusing to cover the film. They are just pretending it doesn’t exist.
...
http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/exclusive-2016-obamas-america-filmmaker-reacts-to-presidents-slam-looking-for-network-to-air-before-election-says-mainstream-media-refusing-coverage/
By DOMINIC PATTEN | Tuesday September 11, 2012
...
DEADLINE: What do you think of the criticism the film has received?
D’SOUZA: The criticism of the film actually bothers me less than the neglect of the film. If I were Michael Moore and I were to make a film that was the No. 2 political documentary of all time, I would be on every network. I would be on Meet The Press, and I would be profiled in The New York Times, and I would be all over MSNBC. Instead large sectors of the press are refusing to cover the film. They are just pretending it doesn’t exist.
...
http://www.deadline.com/2012/09/exclusive-2016-obamas-america-filmmaker-reacts-to-presidents-slam-looking-for-network-to-air-before-election-says-mainstream-media-refusing-coverage/
Naturally, there is a good reason why D'Souza has gotten little of the coverage which apparently he so desperately desires - what follows is a short review of his film:
Review of 2016: Obama's America
D'Souza's film is based on the premise that President Obama (due to the psychological effects of the absence of the President's father in his son's life) is compelled to fulfill what D'Souza claims are President Obama's father's goals or dreams.
D'Souza implicitly claims that President Obama wants to make up for "neocolonialism" by weakening the US's influence in the world (by unilaterally reducing the US nuclear arsenal as much as possible) and simultaneously by allowing the US to be drained of its wealth (by compensatorily transferring it to the countries that suffered under "neocolonialism"
.
Throughout the movie, there is a frequent display of poverty in the third world; i.e., ostensibly in parts of Indonesia and in parts of Africa. D'Souza, near the end of the movie, informs his audience that US citizens are rich by comparison to the average individual living in the third world. Thus, the conclusion that D'Souza presumably wants to terrorize his audience into thinking is that President Obama is going to reduce the average, lower middle-class US citizen to the abject level of poverty that has been so frequently seen up to this point in the film. This seems to be the film's essential point to its newly fiscally "conservative" target audience of Independents and Republicans.
Another theme that the movie presents is that President Obama sympathizes with jihadis. (Notably, Osama bin Laden could refute that delusion were he alive to be asked.)
Still another unsurprising theme that manifests itself near the end of the film is the implicit need to fear Islam and an Islamic world conquest.
Beyond these few points, the rest of the film is essentially unremarkable with respect to its content: the content is that of a propaganda piece.
The quality of production is poor - for example, in one interview scene, the camera operator focuses on the back of the chair in which D'Souza is sitting instead of keeping D'Souza's face in focus while D'Souza is posing a question to his subject.
Perhaps it was this focus on an empty chair that inspired Clint Eastwood.
In summary, this film is purely a propaganda piece that is not worth wasting either money or time on.
D'Souza's film is based on the premise that President Obama (due to the psychological effects of the absence of the President's father in his son's life) is compelled to fulfill what D'Souza claims are President Obama's father's goals or dreams.
D'Souza implicitly claims that President Obama wants to make up for "neocolonialism" by weakening the US's influence in the world (by unilaterally reducing the US nuclear arsenal as much as possible) and simultaneously by allowing the US to be drained of its wealth (by compensatorily transferring it to the countries that suffered under "neocolonialism"
.
Throughout the movie, there is a frequent display of poverty in the third world; i.e., ostensibly in parts of Indonesia and in parts of Africa. D'Souza, near the end of the movie, informs his audience that US citizens are rich by comparison to the average individual living in the third world. Thus, the conclusion that D'Souza presumably wants to terrorize his audience into thinking is that President Obama is going to reduce the average, lower middle-class US citizen to the abject level of poverty that has been so frequently seen up to this point in the film. This seems to be the film's essential point to its newly fiscally "conservative" target audience of Independents and Republicans.
Another theme that the movie presents is that President Obama sympathizes with jihadis. (Notably, Osama bin Laden could refute that delusion were he alive to be asked.)
Still another unsurprising theme that manifests itself near the end of the film is the implicit need to fear Islam and an Islamic world conquest.
Beyond these few points, the rest of the film is essentially unremarkable with respect to its content: the content is that of a propaganda piece.
The quality of production is poor - for example, in one interview scene, the camera operator focuses on the back of the chair in which D'Souza is sitting instead of keeping D'Souza's face in focus while D'Souza is posing a question to his subject.
Perhaps it was this focus on an empty chair that inspired Clint Eastwood.
In summary, this film is purely a propaganda piece that is not worth wasting either money or time on.
September 15, 2012
(Not from The Onion) Santorum: "We Will Never Have The Elite, Smart People On Our Side"
June 27, 2012
"Consuming" Health Care and "Skin in the Game": Rep. (R-Kan.) Pompeo's Witless Choice of Words
This morning on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Rep. Mike Pompeo was interviewed. His discussion of health care and free markets in response to a caller's question seems to indicate that he does not bother to consider the meaning or content of what he says; to wit, anyone "consuming" health care has "skin in the game" by definition.
Please see time index 27:43 in the linked C-SPAN video:
C-SPAN Host: "Congressman...."
Rep. Pompeo: "Well, I appreciate your question. It sounds like you have a little bit of free market belief in you, too. You think everyone should pay..uhh..something for their health care. I..I agree with that. I think that everyone needs to have...a...little bit of skin in the game...ah...in order to make good decisions for themselves and for their families when they're...ah...consuming healthcare...umm...as for the farm bill....(The congressman's answer continues, but is not transcribed here.)"
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/306791-5
C-SPAN Host: "Congressman...."
Rep. Pompeo: "Well, I appreciate your question. It sounds like you have a little bit of free market belief in you, too. You think everyone should pay..uhh..something for their health care. I..I agree with that. I think that everyone needs to have...a...little bit of skin in the game...ah...in order to make good decisions for themselves and for their families when they're...ah...consuming healthcare...umm...as for the farm bill....(The congressman's answer continues, but is not transcribed here.)"
http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/306791-5
April 1, 2012
Britney Spears on Semiconductor Physics...
Here is an interesting site:
Britney Spears' Guide to Semiconductor Physics
It is a little known fact, that Ms Spears is an expert in semiconductor physics. Not content with just singing and acting, in the following pages, she will guide you in the fundamentals of the vital semiconductor laser components that have made it possible to hear her super music in a digital format.
http://britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm
It is a little known fact, that Ms Spears is an expert in semiconductor physics. Not content with just singing and acting, in the following pages, she will guide you in the fundamentals of the vital semiconductor laser components that have made it possible to hear her super music in a digital format.
http://britneyspears.ac/lasers.htm
March 9, 2012
This is the case of Mr. Xxxx Xxxxxx, a US citizen who is held in high regard by many. Others, however, may allege that his past dealings are suspect. In fact, the subsequent, superficial chain of associations (tenuous though they may be) shows that a distinct association between Mr. Xxxxxx and Al Qaeda may be constructed if one were to desire to do so or may be alleged to exist if one were of a suspicious or prosecutorial mindset.
Thus, one may - with resources that pale in comparison to the resources which the US Government may bring to bear in order to accomplish its purposes - allege and construct an association between Mr. Xxxxxx and Al-Qaeda.
Under AG Holder's justification for the assassination of US citizens, would this tenuous connection be enough to fulfil one of the conditions that would allow the targeting of Mr. Xxxxxx with a drone strike? Should AG Holder stand for the rule of law and support due process for Mr. Xxxxxx so that such a questionable - though concrete - chain of associations may not be used against Mr. Xxxxxx? Yes, AG Holder should stand for Mr. Xxxxxx's right to due process for Mr. Xxxxxx is AG Holder himself:
"...Chiquita International's lawyer in this case, Eric H. Holder Jr., said he is concerned that company leaders who chose the difficult path of disclosing the corporation's illegal activity to prosecutors are now facing the possibility of prosecution. ...."
(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102601.html.)
Due Process, Association, Guilt and the Case of Mr. Xxxxxx
In the absence of legitimate due process and proper evidence, tenuous connections may be solidified about any given individual as the following case will illustrate.This is the case of Mr. Xxxx Xxxxxx, a US citizen who is held in high regard by many. Others, however, may allege that his past dealings are suspect. In fact, the subsequent, superficial chain of associations (tenuous though they may be) shows that a distinct association between Mr. Xxxxxx and Al Qaeda may be constructed if one were to desire to do so or may be alleged to exist if one were of a suspicious or prosecutorial mindset.
The Case of Mr. Xxxx X. Xxxxxx Xx.
is alleged to have been associated with
is alleged to have been associated with
is alleged to have been associated with
is alleged to have been associated with
is alleged to have been associated with
is alleged to have been associated with
Mr. Xxxx X. Xxxxxx Xx.
is alleged to have been associated with
Chiquita International Brands
"In Terrorism-Law Case, Chiquita Points to U.S.
By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 2, 2007
...Federal prosecutors have said in court papers that Chertoff and his deputies at Justice made clear in the April 2003 meeting that Chiquita was violating the law and that "the payments . . . could not continue." Government sources say that lawyers at Justice headquarters and the U.S. attorney's office in Washington were incensed by what they considered the flagrant continuation of these payoffs, despite the warnings.
Chiquita International's lawyer in this case, Mr. Xxxx X. Xxxxxx Xx., said he is concerned that company leaders who chose the difficult path of disclosing the corporation's illegal activity to prosecutors are now facing the possibility of prosecution.
"If what you want to encourage is voluntary self-disclosure, what message does this send to other companies?" asked Mr. Xxxxxx, xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx in the Xxxxxxx administration. "Here's a company that voluntarily self-discloses in a national security context, where the company gets treated pretty harshly, [and] then on top of that, you go after individuals who made a really painful decision." ...."
(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102601.html.)
"In Terrorism-Law Case, Chiquita Points to U.S.
By Carol D. Leonnig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, August 2, 2007
...Federal prosecutors have said in court papers that Chertoff and his deputies at Justice made clear in the April 2003 meeting that Chiquita was violating the law and that "the payments . . . could not continue." Government sources say that lawyers at Justice headquarters and the U.S. attorney's office in Washington were incensed by what they considered the flagrant continuation of these payoffs, despite the warnings.
Chiquita International's lawyer in this case, Mr. Xxxx X. Xxxxxx Xx., said he is concerned that company leaders who chose the difficult path of disclosing the corporation's illegal activity to prosecutors are now facing the possibility of prosecution.
"If what you want to encourage is voluntary self-disclosure, what message does this send to other companies?" asked Mr. Xxxxxx, xxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx in the Xxxxxxx administration. "Here's a company that voluntarily self-discloses in a national security context, where the company gets treated pretty harshly, [and] then on top of that, you go after individuals who made a really painful decision." ...."
(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102601.html.)
is alleged to have been associated with
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia or AUC)
"Chiquita to pay $25M fine in terror case
Thu, 15 Mar 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) - Banana company Chiquita Brands International said Wednesday it has agreed to a $25 million fine after admitting it paid terrorists for protection in a volatile farming region of Colombia.
The settlement resolves a lengthy Justice Department investigation into the company's financial dealings with right-wing paramilitaries and leftist rebels the U.S. government deems terrorist groups.
In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the Cincinnati-based company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials.
The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the right-wing militia a terrorist organization in September 2001...."
(See http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/15200739657.htm.)
(Also, see entry 45 at http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm.)
"Chiquita to pay $25M fine in terror case
Thu, 15 Mar 2007
WASHINGTON (AP) - Banana company Chiquita Brands International said Wednesday it has agreed to a $25 million fine after admitting it paid terrorists for protection in a volatile farming region of Colombia.
The settlement resolves a lengthy Justice Department investigation into the company's financial dealings with right-wing paramilitaries and leftist rebels the U.S. government deems terrorist groups.
In court documents filed Wednesday, federal prosecutors said the Cincinnati-based company and several unnamed high-ranking corporate officers paid about $1.7 million between 1997 and 2004 to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, known as AUC for its Spanish initials.
The AUC has been responsible for some of the worst massacres in Colombia's civil conflict and for a sizable percentage of the country's cocaine exports. The U.S. government designated the right-wing militia a terrorist organization in September 2001...."
(See http://www.abcmoney.co.uk/news/15200739657.htm.)
(Also, see entry 45 at http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm.)
is alleged to have been associated with
Shimon Yelinek
"... Yelinek identified a Panamanian maritime company, Trafalgar Maritime Inc., to pick up the arms in Nicaragua and take them to Panama. The arms were transported by the army to the port of El Rama, Nicaragua, and were loaded aboard the company’s only ship, the Otterloo, which declared for Panama. Instead, the Otterloo sailed directly to Turbo, Colombia where the arms were delivered to the AUC. The Captain of the ship disappeared shortly thereafter, and the maritime company was dissolved several months later. The Otterloo was sold to a Colombian citizen. ..."
(See http://www.oas.org/oaspage/ni-coarmas/ni-coenglish3687.htm)
"... Yelinek identified a Panamanian maritime company, Trafalgar Maritime Inc., to pick up the arms in Nicaragua and take them to Panama. The arms were transported by the army to the port of El Rama, Nicaragua, and were loaded aboard the company’s only ship, the Otterloo, which declared for Panama. Instead, the Otterloo sailed directly to Turbo, Colombia where the arms were delivered to the AUC. The Captain of the ship disappeared shortly thereafter, and the maritime company was dissolved several months later. The Otterloo was sold to a Colombian citizen. ..."
(See http://www.oas.org/oaspage/ni-coarmas/ni-coenglish3687.htm)
is alleged to have been associated with
Samih Osailly
"... The Government of Nicaragua should conduct a thorough sight check of the Nicaraguan Army's inventory of arms and ammunition. The Investigative Team has been able to positively ascertain that the Nicaraguan Army, through General Calderón, was approached on a number of different occasions by GIR S.A. for the sale of arms and ammunition, in addition to contacts related to the exchange of arms which is the subject of this report.
One such occasion occurred on January 5, 2001, when GIR S.A. sent a fax to Calderón, listing arms and ammunition, including twin and four barrel anti-aircraft guns, surface to air missiles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank "launchers" and small arms, with quantities and prices (see document No. 121 in Annex V). The document was a request from Zoller for the sale of Nicaraguan Army equipment, at the prices and quantities listed by Zoller. The Investigative Team has been able to link this list of arms to a request from a Lebanese arms broker, Samih Osailly currently in custody in Europe and under investigation by several nations for ties to Al-Queda. He was at the time working for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, under an arms-for-diamonds arrangement[7]. This broker sought to purchase arms and ammunition from Shimon Yelinek, who in turn sent the list of arms and ammunition to Zoller, who forwarded the list to General Calderón. ..."
(See http://www.oas.org/oaspage/ni-coarmas/ni-coenglish3687.htm.)
"... The Government of Nicaragua should conduct a thorough sight check of the Nicaraguan Army's inventory of arms and ammunition. The Investigative Team has been able to positively ascertain that the Nicaraguan Army, through General Calderón, was approached on a number of different occasions by GIR S.A. for the sale of arms and ammunition, in addition to contacts related to the exchange of arms which is the subject of this report.
One such occasion occurred on January 5, 2001, when GIR S.A. sent a fax to Calderón, listing arms and ammunition, including twin and four barrel anti-aircraft guns, surface to air missiles, rocket propelled grenades, anti-tank "launchers" and small arms, with quantities and prices (see document No. 121 in Annex V). The document was a request from Zoller for the sale of Nicaraguan Army equipment, at the prices and quantities listed by Zoller. The Investigative Team has been able to link this list of arms to a request from a Lebanese arms broker, Samih Osailly currently in custody in Europe and under investigation by several nations for ties to Al-Queda. He was at the time working for the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in Sierra Leone, under an arms-for-diamonds arrangement[7]. This broker sought to purchase arms and ammunition from Shimon Yelinek, who in turn sent the list of arms and ammunition to Zoller, who forwarded the list to General Calderón. ..."
(See http://www.oas.org/oaspage/ni-coarmas/ni-coenglish3687.htm.)
is alleged to have been associated with
Aziz Nassour
"... The final case involves two Lebanese diamond traders, Aziz Nassour and Samih Osailly, who are under investigation for helping al Qaeda convert $20 million held in bank accounts into West African diamonds.12 Evidence unearthed by Washington Post journalist Douglas Farah, an investigative team assembled by the Organization of American States, and the London-based organization Global Witness revealed a plot by Nassour and Osailly to acquire large quantities of weapons — including AK-47s, anti-tank weapons, two- and four-barrel anti-aircraft guns, sniper rifles, and SA-7 surface-to-air missiles — from Shimon Yelenik, an Israeli arms dealer operating out of Panama who is linked to the diversion of 3000 Nicaraguan AK-47 assault rifles to the Colombian paramilitaries. ...."
(See http://www.fas.org/pubs/_docs/FullReport.pdf.)
"... The final case involves two Lebanese diamond traders, Aziz Nassour and Samih Osailly, who are under investigation for helping al Qaeda convert $20 million held in bank accounts into West African diamonds.12 Evidence unearthed by Washington Post journalist Douglas Farah, an investigative team assembled by the Organization of American States, and the London-based organization Global Witness revealed a plot by Nassour and Osailly to acquire large quantities of weapons — including AK-47s, anti-tank weapons, two- and four-barrel anti-aircraft guns, sniper rifles, and SA-7 surface-to-air missiles — from Shimon Yelenik, an Israeli arms dealer operating out of Panama who is linked to the diversion of 3000 Nicaraguan AK-47 assault rifles to the Colombian paramilitaries. ...."
(See http://www.fas.org/pubs/_docs/FullReport.pdf.)
is alleged to have been associated with
Al Qaeda/ Al-Qa'ida.
"... According to documents collected by investigators, in January 2001 Yelenik forwarded an email from a “guy/alfa” to another Israeli, Ori Zoller, who is the proprietor of an arms dealership in Guatemala (13) and another suspect in the diversion of assault rifles to the AUC. “Guy/alfa” is presumed to be Nassour, who often went by the code name “Alfa Zulu.” The email states that the weapons were to be delivered to Liberia and were for his “friends in Africa.” Nassour had many “friends in Africa,” including
■ Ibrahim Bah, a representative of former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s thuggish regime. Bah fought with Islamic guerrillas in Afghanistan and later with Hezbollah in Lebanon; (14)
■ the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which caught the world’s attention in the mid-1990s by mutilating civilians to deter them from cooperating with government forces; and
■ al Qaeda operatives with whom Nassour allegedly worked to convert bank account funds into diamonds. (15)
A few days later, the list of weaponry was faxed by Zoller to General Roberto Calderón, Inspector General of the Nicaraguan Army. General Calderón responded with a list of prices for the weapons, but existing evidence indicates that the deal fell through shortly afterward. (16) ...."
(See http://www.fas.org/pubs/_docs/FullReport.pdf.)
(Also, see entry 36 at http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm.)
"... According to documents collected by investigators, in January 2001 Yelenik forwarded an email from a “guy/alfa” to another Israeli, Ori Zoller, who is the proprietor of an arms dealership in Guatemala (13) and another suspect in the diversion of assault rifles to the AUC. “Guy/alfa” is presumed to be Nassour, who often went by the code name “Alfa Zulu.” The email states that the weapons were to be delivered to Liberia and were for his “friends in Africa.” Nassour had many “friends in Africa,” including
■ Ibrahim Bah, a representative of former Liberian President Charles Taylor’s thuggish regime. Bah fought with Islamic guerrillas in Afghanistan and later with Hezbollah in Lebanon; (14)
■ the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), which caught the world’s attention in the mid-1990s by mutilating civilians to deter them from cooperating with government forces; and
■ al Qaeda operatives with whom Nassour allegedly worked to convert bank account funds into diamonds. (15)
A few days later, the list of weaponry was faxed by Zoller to General Roberto Calderón, Inspector General of the Nicaraguan Army. General Calderón responded with a list of prices for the weapons, but existing evidence indicates that the deal fell through shortly afterward. (16) ...."
(See http://www.fas.org/pubs/_docs/FullReport.pdf.)
(Also, see entry 36 at http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm.)
Thus, one may - with resources that pale in comparison to the resources which the US Government may bring to bear in order to accomplish its purposes - allege and construct an association between Mr. Xxxxxx and Al-Qaeda.
Under AG Holder's justification for the assassination of US citizens, would this tenuous connection be enough to fulfil one of the conditions that would allow the targeting of Mr. Xxxxxx with a drone strike? Should AG Holder stand for the rule of law and support due process for Mr. Xxxxxx so that such a questionable - though concrete - chain of associations may not be used against Mr. Xxxxxx? Yes, AG Holder should stand for Mr. Xxxxxx's right to due process for Mr. Xxxxxx is AG Holder himself:
"...Chiquita International's lawyer in this case, Eric H. Holder Jr., said he is concerned that company leaders who chose the difficult path of disclosing the corporation's illegal activity to prosecutors are now facing the possibility of prosecution. ...."
(See http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/01/AR2007080102601.html.)
March 1, 2012
Breitbart "eulogizes" Ted Kennedy: "This duplicitous bastard...Even til the end, he was a prick."
It seems that Breitbart's own words should be used as his epitaph:
AndrewBreitbart
@AndrewBreitbart
This duplicitous bastard spit on GWB's face when he reached across party lines. Twas a grade school trick. Even til the end, he was a prick.
http://twitter.com/#!/andrewbreitbart/status/3552948159
@AndrewBreitbart
This duplicitous bastard spit on GWB's face when he reached across party lines. Twas a grade school trick. Even til the end, he was a prick.
http://twitter.com/#!/andrewbreitbart/status/3552948159
January 26, 2012
It is also interesting to see this company's homepage as it has a changing image that illustrates the extent of use of the above "meat products": http://www.hrrenterprises.com/index.html.
Bon appétit!
USDA/FSIS Standards for Beef: A Sampling of the Array of "Meat Products" Available in the USA....
After seeing a story regarding Jamie Oliver, his campaign to make people aware of the use of so-called "pink slime" in beef products and McDonald's, it seemed appropriate to look up one of these processing factories to find what their "meat products" are actually called. Here is a product description page from a randomly selected processor, HRR Enterprises, INC.:
Products
HRR specializes in producing several unique protein products including, but not limited to, Finely Textured Beef (FTB), Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB), Premium Black Angus Finely Textured Beef (PBAFTB), Angus Finely Textured Beef (AFTB), Beef Trimmings, Finely Textured (BTFT) and Partially Defatted Chopped Beef (PDCB). These proteins are "all beef" quality meat products that are used as an economical replacement for a portion of lean boneless beef in most product formulations. These products provide economic and competitive advantages without reducing the quality, appearance or flavor of the finished product.
FTB, LFTB, PBAFTB, AFTB and BTFT are high quality lean beef products, considered beef by USDA/FSIS standards. All are manufactured from only the freshest USDA inspected raw material under a HACCP system and are in the form of small chips which have been Instantly Quick Frozen (IQF). Color and texture are excellent. These products are commonly used in the meat industry by wholesalers and retailers as a 94% lean beef ingredient during formulation to achieve a formula specific lean requirement. They will give you economic and competitive advantages during formulation. There are many uses for these products: they are commonly used in frozen hamburger patties, can be added to ground beef without "patty" labeling restrictions, Salisbury steak, beef steaks, meat loaf, meat balls, meat toppings for Italian foods, meat fillings for Oriental foods, retail frozen items, chili, meat fillings for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales and other Mexican food, breaded beef items, sausage, corn beef hash and a variety of canned goods.
As a 90% lean beef ingredient (+or-2%), PDCB, is also used as a replacement in part for lean boneless beef. This product is manufactured with USDA/FSIS inspected raw material and under USDA/FSIS supervision. This beef product is commonly used in the same categories as the FTB, PBAFTB, AFTB and BTFT including, meat fillings for Mexican food items and Italian foods like pizza toppings, ravioli, spaghetti, chili meat, corn beef hash, beef patties, etc.
HRR also produces Edible Beef Tallow which is sold under AFOA trading rules. HRR's beef tallow is used in the manufacturing of many products, including but not limited to: shortening, cooking oil, soup, soaps, pet food, cosmetics and livestock rations.
http://www.hrrenterprises.com/Products.html
HRR specializes in producing several unique protein products including, but not limited to, Finely Textured Beef (FTB), Lean Finely Textured Beef (LFTB), Premium Black Angus Finely Textured Beef (PBAFTB), Angus Finely Textured Beef (AFTB), Beef Trimmings, Finely Textured (BTFT) and Partially Defatted Chopped Beef (PDCB). These proteins are "all beef" quality meat products that are used as an economical replacement for a portion of lean boneless beef in most product formulations. These products provide economic and competitive advantages without reducing the quality, appearance or flavor of the finished product.
FTB, LFTB, PBAFTB, AFTB and BTFT are high quality lean beef products, considered beef by USDA/FSIS standards. All are manufactured from only the freshest USDA inspected raw material under a HACCP system and are in the form of small chips which have been Instantly Quick Frozen (IQF). Color and texture are excellent. These products are commonly used in the meat industry by wholesalers and retailers as a 94% lean beef ingredient during formulation to achieve a formula specific lean requirement. They will give you economic and competitive advantages during formulation. There are many uses for these products: they are commonly used in frozen hamburger patties, can be added to ground beef without "patty" labeling restrictions, Salisbury steak, beef steaks, meat loaf, meat balls, meat toppings for Italian foods, meat fillings for Oriental foods, retail frozen items, chili, meat fillings for tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales and other Mexican food, breaded beef items, sausage, corn beef hash and a variety of canned goods.
As a 90% lean beef ingredient (+or-2%), PDCB, is also used as a replacement in part for lean boneless beef. This product is manufactured with USDA/FSIS inspected raw material and under USDA/FSIS supervision. This beef product is commonly used in the same categories as the FTB, PBAFTB, AFTB and BTFT including, meat fillings for Mexican food items and Italian foods like pizza toppings, ravioli, spaghetti, chili meat, corn beef hash, beef patties, etc.
HRR also produces Edible Beef Tallow which is sold under AFOA trading rules. HRR's beef tallow is used in the manufacturing of many products, including but not limited to: shortening, cooking oil, soup, soaps, pet food, cosmetics and livestock rations.
http://www.hrrenterprises.com/Products.html
It is also interesting to see this company's homepage as it has a changing image that illustrates the extent of use of the above "meat products": http://www.hrrenterprises.com/index.html.
Bon appétit!
January 25, 2012
Elaboration On Edit:
Work-study is a time drain. It takes away from study time. If a person is committed to his or her field of study, that is all that one is in school to do. The fundamental point is that education needs to be funded so that students can get in to universities, apply themselves fully to their various fields of study, get their degrees at whatever level they can accomplish, and get out without the burden of debt. Innovation seldom occurs without freedom, and debt is the antithesis of freedom.
It is possible to provide stipends that cover the cost of living to students: Germany, for example, provides money to students while they are in school to defray the cost of living. Their system while not totally free of loans (http://www.bmbf.de/en/892.php) would seem to provide an excellent example of what can be achieved, but, for whatever reason, our policies are continually misdirected. Unless someone in power (say...a president...maybe) has the vision to articulate and fight for a better policy, there will be no meaningful change. Sadly, the policy of calling for more work-study is not that far distant in spirit from turning teenage students into janitors.
EPIC Obama FAIL:
Education is critical for a democratic society.
This country needs to stop seeing education as a matter of a personal investment. It is not. Education is an investment in the country's future: for example, with an adequately educated populace, there would be no policy debate on whether global climate change is real.
This country needs to adopt a policy that allows all to go to school up through the Ph.D. level at virtually no cost.
This is the sort of competition that this country faces:
The iEconomy
How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work
By CHARLES DUHIGG and KEITH BRADSHER
Published: January 21, 2012
...
Another critical advantage for Apple was that China provided engineers at a scale the United States could not match. Apple’s executives had estimated that about 8,700 industrial engineers were needed to oversee and guide the 200,000 assembly-line workers eventually involved in manufacturing iPhones. The company’s analysts had forecast it would take as long as nine months to find that many qualified engineers in the United States.
In China, it took 15 days.
Companies like Apple “say the challenge in setting up U.S. plants is finding a technical work force,” said Martin Schmidt, associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In particular, companies say they need engineers with more than high school, but not necessarily a bachelor’s degree. Americans at that skill level are hard to find, executives contend. “They’re good jobs, but the country doesn’t have enough to feed the demand,” Mr. Schmidt said.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1&ref=general&src=me
How the U.S. Lost Out on iPhone Work
By CHARLES DUHIGG and KEITH BRADSHER
Published: January 21, 2012
...
Another critical advantage for Apple was that China provided engineers at a scale the United States could not match. Apple’s executives had estimated that about 8,700 industrial engineers were needed to oversee and guide the 200,000 assembly-line workers eventually involved in manufacturing iPhones. The company’s analysts had forecast it would take as long as nine months to find that many qualified engineers in the United States.
In China, it took 15 days.
Companies like Apple “say the challenge in setting up U.S. plants is finding a technical work force,” said Martin Schmidt, associate provost at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In particular, companies say they need engineers with more than high school, but not necessarily a bachelor’s degree. Americans at that skill level are hard to find, executives contend. “They’re good jobs, but the country doesn’t have enough to feed the demand,” Mr. Schmidt said.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/22/business/apple-america-and-a-squeezed-middle-class.html?pagewanted=4&_r=1&ref=general&src=me
Elaboration On Edit:
Work-study is a time drain. It takes away from study time. If a person is committed to his or her field of study, that is all that one is in school to do. The fundamental point is that education needs to be funded so that students can get in to universities, apply themselves fully to their various fields of study, get their degrees at whatever level they can accomplish, and get out without the burden of debt. Innovation seldom occurs without freedom, and debt is the antithesis of freedom.
It is possible to provide stipends that cover the cost of living to students: Germany, for example, provides money to students while they are in school to defray the cost of living. Their system while not totally free of loans (http://www.bmbf.de/en/892.php) would seem to provide an excellent example of what can be achieved, but, for whatever reason, our policies are continually misdirected. Unless someone in power (say...a president...maybe) has the vision to articulate and fight for a better policy, there will be no meaningful change. Sadly, the policy of calling for more work-study is not that far distant in spirit from turning teenage students into janitors.
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