Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Tuesday Left a Markey

Must have been the drug abuse:

"Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, another advocate of regulations, said: ‘‘We have rules of the road, but in this brave new world, now we need rules of the sky.’’

Brave New World same as the New World order (or whatever you wanna call it), and we are there. New York Times confirms it.

"Federal regulators propose registration system for drones; Hope to curtail owners’ mischief and negligence" by Nick Wingfield New York Times   October 20, 2015

NEW YORK — In the United States, drones have interfered with aircraft trying to put out wildfires. They have buzzed dangerously close to jets taking off at airports and have irritated fans at sports events by hovering over stadiums.

Now federal regulators, hoping to discourage mischief and negligence among drone pilots, are proposing a new system to require owners to register their unmanned aircraft....

Some drone makers were concerned, though, by the lack of detail about how the system will work and the speed with which the task force has been ordered to work out those particulars. Many questions about the regulation are unsettled, including exactly which drones are considered so harmless that they should be exempt from the new rules.

The department said the regulations would not apply to toys and other small drones that pose low safety risks.

“Whether a national drone registration system is workable and serves the purposes articulated by the secretary will depend on the criteria used to determine which drones are included, and the burden that is imposed on the public,” Brendan Schulman, vice president for policy and legal affairs at DJI, a leading Chinese drone maker, wrote in an e-mail.

Did they check the parts on those?

“DJI is a strong supporter of drone safety initiatives, but the deadline announced today is extremely ambitious and surprising considering that the rule-making process for civilian drones has been in progress for a decade,” Schulman said.

It is not clear, for example, whether drones registered with the government will have to be physically labeled with the equivalent of a vehicle license plate — using a sticker, perhaps — or whether drones will be configured to electronically broadcast a unique registration number.

A sticker could be useful if law enforcement officials are able to take possession of a drone after a crash. But it might not be as helpful if drone operators simply flew their devices away.

Anyone who fails to register a drone could face civil fines up to $27,500 and, if warranted, criminal penalties up to $250,000 or up to three years in jail, or both, according to a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

That fined with you?

He said the rule would apply to drones already sold, not just new ones. Recreational fliers of drones do not have to be licensed, though there are stricter rules for commercial operators.

Good luck with that; it will be like the VWs.

The registration proposal is just one of many measures federal regulators are taking to open the skies to drones operated by civilians.

The Federal Aviation Administration, which is part of the Transportation Department, has also introduced public education initiatives, including a “Know Before You Fly” campaign aimed at spreading awareness about aviation rules among drone operators.

A “No Drone Zone” campaign uses signs showing a slash through a drone to let operators know where the devices are prohibited — near airports, for instance....

Your tax dollars at work as fraud-riven social services are slashed.

The Air Line Pilots Association and members of Congress have been calling for drone registration.

‘‘This is a simple and necessary tactic to immediately identify the owner and drive home’’ the importance of safety rules, said Tim Canoll, president of the pilots union.

Senator Edward Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, another advocate of regulations, said: ‘‘We have rules of the road, but in this brave new world, now we need rules of the sky.’’ 

Yeah, I saw that, and this government wants to regulate everything except banks and war-profiteer cost overruns.

Daniel Castro, vice president at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, urged the government not to ‘‘rush into new rules that could have unintended consequences down the line.’’

They always do, which is why I reflexively ground government proposals.

Regulations devised by the task force ‘‘will have long-term implications for free speech, privacy and the commercial development and deployment of this nascent technology,’’ he said in a prepared statement.

The government will worry about that later after those things are gone.

At an event in Washington on Monday, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said the department was motivated to act fast because of growing reports of safety violations by drones, and because the devices are expected to be big sellers during the holiday season.

They “feel the level of urgency is sufficient,” which is when you want to ground the flight. 

Not to hurt the economy or anything, but I won't be buying a drone for a present this year.

“This isn’t riding your ATV on your own property,” Foxx said. “This is going into space where other users are occupying that space. It’s a matter of responsibility that we take seriously.”

As the citizens and refugees from Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Somalia, Libya, etc, etc, can attest.

--more--"

The report is due by Nov. 20, so be on the look for it.

"As House reconvenes, leadership still unresolved; Big issues loom amid fight over who’ll be speaker" by Erica Werner Associated Press   October 18, 2015

WASHINGTON — The turmoil comes as Congress confronts the need to raise the federal borrowing limit by early November or risk a market-shattering default, and delicate talks are underway to come up with a budget deal to avoid a government shutdown in two months.

Blame for collapse, yup. Anything but the private central banking scheme that can't help but crash. It is designed that way.

The task of raising the debt limit is falling to Boehner.

See: Mistah Speaker.....

He will be gone soon, and it looks like the Republicans will be splitting the difference. Ryan, the TARP and amnesty-supporter, said he would be willing to serve.

But he will have to tread carefully, given GOP objections to an increase without concessions from President Obama — something the White House is ruling out.

Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the Republican rebels, said he’d consider forcing a vote to push Boehner out of the speaker’s chair if he engages in ‘‘nefarious activity.’’ Massie defined that as ‘‘running the tables’’ on legislation not supported by a majority of Republicans.

Boehner has suggested he wants to ‘‘clean the barn’’ before leaving Congress so his successor does not have a lot of unfinished business.

The unrest in Congress coincides with a chaotic GOP presidential primary dominated by candidates far afield from the political establishment as Republican voters push for confrontation with Obama.

It may be difficult for any House speaker to satisfy those demands, with Obama still in the White House and minority Democrats in the Senate using that chamber’s rules to bottle up legislation passed by the House.... 

And notice it is NOT CALLED OBSTRUCTIONIST like they would the other guys! 

I'm not saying House Repuglicans are right; I'm just pointing out the show fooley hypocrisy and garbage coverage of the propaganda pre$$.

With Congress moving slowly on a long-term budget, lawmakers are signalling a reluctance to add money for national priorities such as transportation and energy programs. Despite widespread calls to fix crumbling highways, bridges and rail systems, a House bill introduced Friday maintains spending at current levels — suggesting Congress is unlikely to soon tackle a growing backlog in modernizing federal transportation systems.

That is because all the tax loot had to be diverted to the war machine, Wall Street, and Israel.

The bipartisan, six-year bill provides about $325 billion over the next six years. The Senate passed a similar bill in July that would allow $350 billion over six years but provide funding for only the first three years.

They can't even pay for anything else!

Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said last month that $400 billion over the next six years is ‘‘the absolute minimum level of investment’’ that’s needed.

He gets the last word again, and where has all the f***ing money gone????

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"In Mass., 22 companies received permits to fly drones" by Catherine Cloutier Globe Staff  October 09, 2015

Floating a couple of hundred feet in the air, Mike Hourihan’s drone records images of the forests, fields, and suburban neighborhoods below.

The footage, streamed to a screen on the ground, helps search and rescue teams locate missing people.

“You’re looking for one single pixel, something that doesn’t look right,” said Hourihan. “In practice, it’s incredible.”

Drones are often associated with faraway dusty battlefields. But in Massachusetts and elsewhere, companies are taking advantage of the technology to obtain a different viewpoint, whether it be during rescue missions, scientific research, or even real estate sales.

As of the end of August, 22 Massachusetts-based companies and organizations had received a permit from the Federal Aviation Administration to legally fly commercial unmanned aircraft, according to FAA data collected by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College and The Verge.

In all, the FAA has granted about 1,800 permits to companies to fly drones over America since September 2014, according to its website. Hobbyists are not required to obtain a permit.

To get the permit, known as a Section 333 exemption, petitioners must confirm that the drone operator has a pilot license and agree to safety measures that are designed to reduce the risk of injury to people on the ground — and interference with other aircraft.

Companies apply for the permits because they “have a reputation at stake, so they go out of their way to make sure they are extremely safe,” said Stephen Keen, president of geoResource Technologies, a drone company based in Cambridge.

The permits give operators a competitive advantage over those who are flying drones illegally, said Jim Peters, spokesman for the FAA, in an e-mail.

A common complaint among permit holders is that other companies are operating drones without permits.

One high-profile example was the FAA probe into three National Football League teams, including the New England Patriots, last summer for illegally flying drones to film practices. The NFL received a permit in September to film at stadiums (on non-game days) and practice facilities.

And now they have the fanta$y $ports scandal to deal with.

Drones are “certainly going to grow as an industry,” said Zach Lesinski, director of aerial services at Avwatch Inc., a video technology company based in Plymouth that holds a permit. “The FAA and local law enforcement need to come down hard on the unlicensed people doing this illegally.”

The number of companies receiving the permits has ballooned in recent months. In January, the FAA granted eight, according to the data. In August, it granted 389.

In reponse to the demand, the FAA streamlined the permit process, said Peters.

The ability to use drones for photography and filming is a major reason companies and organizations seek the permits. In more than half of the FAA’s Section 333 records, petitioners indicated they intended to use drones for those purposes.

And the drone operators aren’t just in the movie industry. The technology is being used to obtain aerial images of construction projects, homes, and even weddings.

Kevin Ham, owner of Force 4 Photography in Buzzards Bay, said the permit has allowed his company to expand into the real estate photography market — a very lucrative one on Cape Cod, he said.

“The shots are so stunning,” said Ham. “You can’t get them any other way.”

At Jeffrey Adams’s company, UAS Development Inc., a drone technology company in Holliston, drones are used to shoot aerial clips for advertising agencies and architecture firms. He hopes to expand the business to provide footage for documentaries and feature films.

“The requests are coming from industries far and wide, outside of television and film,” he said. “There are lots of applications for this technology.”

Yeah, it's ALL GOOD!

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham applied for a permit so students could build drone technology that will be useful for firefighters, marine biologists, and others, said Andrew Bennett, an associate professor at the college.

“We want to create a system when a drone would know if there are people and refuse to fly there,” among other drone-related projects, said Bennett. “We want to add smarts to it.”

Skynet.

“I think they have huge potential for research groups, education groups, and things like that,” he said.

At the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, drones allow researchers a way to get up close to their research subjects, including whales.

Once, the researchers’ drone was flying over a whale when the animal blew mucus all over aircraft, said Hanumant Singh, senior scientist at the institution.

“That’s when they realized it’s the best way they can get DNA,” said Singh.

Not only are drones cheaper and safer than helicopters, said Singh, but they are “giving us a wonderful view of the ocean that we can’t get any other way.”

Yeah, it's all for the sea creatures and the world that needs saving from climate change, etc, etc, etc.  

So how are those radiation levels and life forms in the Pacific anyway?

--more--"

Soon the drones will be in space.

Related: Where You Can PARC Your Drone

Or you can dock it(?) at DARPA if you want.

Do you hear a buzzing sound like me, readers?

"Bee enthusiasts to gather for pollinator event in N.H." by the Associated Press   October 19, 2015

DURHAM, N.H. — Bee health and research are on the agenda for a pollinator summit coordinated by the University of New Hampshire.

Sandra Rehan, assistant professor of biological sciences, will discuss science-based information on nutritional requirements and diversity of native bees and factors influencing bee health.

Rehan oversees the UNH Bee Lab and is conducting a multiyear research project funded by the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station.

Cathy Neal, professor of plant biology and extension specialist, is collaborating with Rehan on the experiment station bee research project. Neal will discuss how to use landscapes, habitats, and plantings to support pollinator populations. She has been conducting landscaping and wildflower research at the experiment station’s Woodman Farm.

The bee research project has been funded by New Hampshire Agriculture Experiment Station at UNH. The project is assessing the biodiversity, floral hosts, plant-pollinator networks, and sustainability of native bees in New Hampshire.

The project is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture.

The summit is scheduled for Nov. 2 at the Grappone Conference Center in Concord.

--more--"

Good thing the bees are on the comeback.

I suppose the silence is better than the whoosh.... bang that people in other lands experience (blog editor near tears at this point; I guess I'm having some sort of meltdown regarding the insulting slop served up by the Bo$ton Globe every goddamn day) on a daily basis.

Time to check my e-mail before finishing up:

"Teenager says he breached CIA chief’s e-mails" by Ken Dilanian Associated Press  October 20, 2015

WASHINGTON — An anonymous hacker claims to have breached the personal e-mail account of the CIA’s director, John Brennan, and has posted documents online, including e-mail addresses purportedly from Brennan’s contact file.

The CIA said only that it referred the matter to the proper authorities.

The hacker spoke to the New York Post, which described him as ‘‘a stoner high school student’’ motivated by his opposition to US foreign policy and support for Palestinians.

OMG, this is ALL CRAP PROPAGANDA meant to DISCREDIT THOSE POSITIONS (just as Israel is really taking it to Palestinians, too, what timing!)!!!!!

His Twitter account, @phphax, includes links to files he says are Brennan’s contact list, a log of phone calls by then-CIA deputy director Avril Haines, and other documents. The Post said he did not reveal his name or where he lived.

So what government agency does the kid work for?

CIA Has Venture Capital Wing
The Great AmeriKan Workplace 
NSA Unlocking Your Secrets
Hacker Helped FBI

Got his degree at MIT.

The hacker also claimed he breached a Comcast account for Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson and released what appeared to be personal information.

One document purporting to come from Brennan’s e-mail account contains a spreadsheet of people, including senior intelligence officials, along with Social Security numbers, although the hacker redacted the numbers in the version posted on Twitter. The document appears to date from 2009 or before.

(Blog editor just shakes his head; they really expect us to believe this shit. Or do they just not care? Throw it against the wall even if it slides right down!)

When people visit the White House and other secure facilities, they must supply Social Security numbers. Brennan may have been forwarding a list of invitees to the White House when he was President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, before he became CIA director in 2013.

Yeah, stay away from government; it's the best way to keep yourself and your information safe.

--more--"

You know, even if you TAKE ALL THIS AT FACE VALUE and subscribe it to be God's Honset Truth, it STILL STINKS! 

It means ALL THE SURVEILLANCE, all the SECURITY, all the SNOOPING, is ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS (unless, of course, it is the false-flagging government and the $ecurity $oftware companies that stand to benefit are behind this)!

They truly do think we are all idiot adolescents, folks (as if anyone cares or is listening):

"The Republican candidates — like Trump — who are speaking at a level easily understood by people at the lower end of the education spectrum are outperforming their highfalutin opponents in the polls. Simpler language resonates with a broader swath of voters in an era of 140-character Twitter tweets and 10-second television sound bites, say specialists on political speech."

I don't know what level they would judge me at, and I don't really care.

Since that pertains to the rest of the Presidential Slop:

"Biden’s deliberations about whether to join the 2016 presidential race have put Washington on edge. The clearest sign of that angst came Monday night when The Washington Post accidentally published a story online declaring that Biden had entered the race. The piece was quickly taken down.

Biden drew another contrast with Clinton, saying, “I don’t think my chief enemy is the Republican Party.” During the Democratic debate last week, Clinton named “Republicans” as one group that she views as her enemy. The one area that might raise a concern among some Democratic primary voters was his defense of former vice president Dick Cheney, who is reviled by the party base. “I actually like Dick Cheney for real,” Biden said, adding that he was “very gracious” during the transition.

In other words, it sounded an awful lot like the outlines of stump speech."

Webb ends quest for Democratic nomination

He may go Independent even though he knows the whole process is “rigged.”

O’Malley gets a lot of love in appearance on ‘The View’

Well, whoop-de-do.

Clinton surges in latest poll; Sanders’s support flattens

Yes, the e-mails no longer matter, it's party politics, who cares if she was running a shadow State Department that was insecure and which doubled as a shakedown racket for the Foundation

But enough of the e-mails already. She is also now ahead in New Hampshire, and I toldja that would be the narrative now that the election is only three months away (rather ominous ending there).

Who exactly ‘kept us safe’?

God?

GOP hopefuls woo evangelicals at Texas church

Cruz, Carson, Huckabee, Santorum, Bush and Fiorina attended. Trump didn’t. Fiorina ‘‘came to think of God as a CEO of a big enterprise,’’ but now she has ‘‘a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.’’

RelatedRalph Nader’s tort law museum is informative at any speed

Looking back now, he takes on Christ-like proportions, including the persecution.

Don't laugh; I'll likely write in his name yet again.

Time to cut this post loose, and was that ever easy.

UPDATE: University tests its drones in a big cage